Marihuana A Drug-Crazed Killer at Large
“Marihuana” is a documentary first published in 1941 explaining how smoking marijuana drives you insane and causes you to commit murder and suicide. It is based upon the Government testimony of Harry Anslinger, who was the Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from 1930 until 1962 who said, and I quote, "Marihuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death." Unfortunately, that quote and this book did more to increase the popularity of marijuana than anything else. Even today, you can see on the Internet “The 10 Funniest Anti-Drug Commercials In Advertising History”. It is questionable whether making exaggerated claims about the potency or the effect of marijuana is helpful or harmful. Rightly or wrongly, Marihuana by William Irish has become a cult classic. Originally sold as a dime novel, it now commands a price of at least $100 as a used book in poor condition and in most cases it is unavailable at any price, not even as a rare book. To bring back this important, historic work, Ishi Press has now reprinted it.