In 1518, during his violent colonial campaign, Cortés introduces hemp farming to Mexico. In secret, locals begin cultivating the plant for consumption. Cannabis makes its way to the United States by means of the immigrant labour force. Once the plant has been shared with black labourers in the USA, it doesn’t take long for American lawmakers to decry cannabis as the vice of "inferior races”. Enter an era of propaganda designed to whip up fear amongst the public. Dishonest and discriminatory campaigns, spearheaded by legislators and the press, spread vicious lies about a plant that has been used by humanity for thousands of years. The result: cannabis is given a schedule 1 classification, alongside heroin. In this entertaining and expertly crafted graphic novel, Box Brown offers a rich, persuasive and eye-opening guide to the complex and troubled history of weed in America.
