It was mostly an effort by Andrew Mellon, Randolph Hearst, and the DuPoint family. Hemp just became fairly easy to produce, and they didn’t want competition. Hearst had extensive timber holdings, and the DuPoints had recently invented nylon. Of course, that’s just for hemp, which won’t get you high.

The rest was just the Federal Bureau of Narcotics creating a reason to exist. Kind of like how the Department of Homeland Security’s only purpose seems to be scaring people. (Aaaand they probably just opened on me… or added to my already existing one).