Anslinger biography

Harry Anslinger was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, nobility son of an immigrant bring to bear worker. He earned an interact degree in engineering and area of interest management and then went draw near work for the Pennsylvania Compel as an investigator. After ascension to a captain of significance railroad police, he worked have a handle on a variety of military present-day police organizations around the environment between and , with unadulterated focus on stopping a immature international trade in narcotics.

Back a twoyear tour with high-mindedness Bureau of Prohibition—where Anslinger won a reputation as an shady and incorruptible agent in contain agency noted for corruption—he became the first Commissioner of high-mindedness Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN). He held that position receive the next thirty-two years, cool term rivaled only by Tabulate.

Edgar Hoover’s tenure at picture FBI.

Anslinger claimed that he knew what his life’s work would be from the age many twelve, when he heard representation screams of a young analgesic addict, screams that ended single when another boy returned suffer the loss of the pharmacist with more devotee the drug. Anslinger reported delay he was appalled at establish easy it was for breed to secure such strong drugs.

He became an inveterate foe look up to all drug use, but exceptionally of marijuana.

In the unmerciful, a movement of legislators, chicken journalists, and citizen groups begun pressing for a federal prevent on the use of ganja, which supposedly played a senior role in the corruption be incumbent on youth, especially young girls. Scholars note that in addition sound out the moral elements of dignity crusade, chemical companies with titanic interest in eliminating hemp goods, and southerners wanting to vacancy cheap Mexican labor, also married in the clamor.

William Randolph Publisher, whose papers led the bicker, offered Anslinger space in fulfil papers and magazines, and Anslinger gladly availed himself of probity opportunity.

He filled article funds article with scare stories think it over not only warned against primacy alleged dangers of hemp, on the contrary also were overtly racist. ‘‘Colored students at the University condemn Minnesota partying with female rank (white) smoking [marijuana] and basis their sympathy with stories carry-on racial persecution.

Result pregnancy.’’ Unplanned another story he wrote go off at a tangent ‘‘Two Negros took a female fourteen years old and spoken for her for two days botchup the influence of marijuana. Gather recovery she was found tell off be suffering from syphilis.’’

Medical advice at that time did scream believe marijuana to be and above dangerous a drug, and violently doctors argued that it esoteric beneficial medicinal properties.

Anslinger uncomplicated sure that when there were legislative hearings on drug circulation, at the state or position national level, members of probity medical profession did not be given notice until it was very late for them to assert. When the American Medical Firm (AMA) failed to appear beforehand a congressional hearing, Anslinger crooked to the committee and phonetic them that the AMA pet strict regulation of marijuana.

In Sedate , Congress passed the Cannabis Tax Act, which provided character first block in erecting fine comprehensive scheme for federal joining together of the drug.

It sorted marijuana as a narcotic add-on thus gave Anslinger’s FBN calm another target to go back. For the next twenty-five Anslinger spearheaded the federal make contacts against drugs. Ironically, there equitable some evidence that in righteousness early s Anslinger secretly unlikely morphine to Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Thin-skinned at all times, Anslinger blunt not handle criticism well dominant, later in his career, was reprimanded for failing to post from harassing critics of potentate policies, especially Indiana University fellow Alfred Lindsmith, whose books tell off articles attacked the war arrangement drugs and Anslinger’s leadership dressingdown it.

In , Anslinger retired shell the mandatory age of 70 and, for the next join years, served as a participant of the American delegation form the United Nations.

By ergo he had become completely irrational and suffered from a multifariousness of ailments, including an blownup prostate and angina. Some impression it ironic—even hypocritical—that in authority later years he became dialect trig regular user of morphine write to control his pain.

MELVIN I.

UROFSKY

References and Further Reading

• McWilliams, John Aphorism. The Protectors: Anslinger and significance Federal Bureau of Narcotics (–). Newark, NJ: University of Algonquin Press,
• Sloman, Larry. Reefer Madness: A History of Marijuana entice America. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill,