Criminalization

In 1937, the first marijuana associated arrests were made in Denver, Colorado. These initial arrests were the beginning of a brewing sentiment in US society that was fueled by the government and exaggerated by negative news and media regarding the effects of marijuana and the people using the plant. Initially Mexico and Central American immigrants were the primary boogey man, but in typical US culture, this negativity grew to encompass a broad spectrum of racial identities, which also led to an increase in incarceration rates among BIPOC communities. This graph allows you to see the criminal-industrial complex and it’s related “drug war” begin to form. 

Source: https://www.worldofcannabis.museum/post/tdich-10-8-1937-first-convictions