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During the administration of American PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945), the United States saw its first federal-level efforts to controlcannabis as a drug.
While Roosevelt is known for his opposition toprohibition of alcohol, which was repealed in 1933 with the passage of theTwenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, in a 1935 radio address he also advocated that the United States apply the rulings of theSecond International Opium Convention, which along with opiates also restricted the non-medicinal use of cannabis.[1][2]
Federal Bureau of Narcotics chiefHarry Anslinger garnered support from the president and Congress for the passage of theMarihuana Tax Act, which was signed by Roosevelt and took effect on 1 October, 1937.[3]
