Schaffer Library of Drug Policy

The Origins of Cannabis Prohibition in California

by Dale H. Gieringer

Originally published as "The Forgotten Origins of Cannabis Prohibition in California," Contemporary Drug Problems, Vol 26 #2, Summer 1999

© Contemporary Drug Problems, Federal Legal Publications, New York 1999 Revised by the author Feb 2000, Dec. 2002, Mar. 2005 Substantially revised Jun. 2006; May-Jul. 2012

Introduction

Early History of Cannabis in California

The First Stirrings Of Cannabis Prohibition

The Advent of Marijuana

Conclusion: Prohibition a Bureaucratic Initiative

State & Local Marijuana Laws, Pre-1933