Anslinger, a former alcohol Prohibition agent who headed the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from its founding until 1962, said plainly that the main reason to ban cannabis was “its effect on the degenerate races.” He claimed that “reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men” and warned, “[t]here are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.”
