Long before that, it goes back a long way. First I'm aware of it was the approach taken by Harry Anslinger - he of the racist reefer madness and swathes of fake

Long before that, it goes back a long way. First I'm aware of it was the approach taken by Harry Anslinger - he of the racist reefer madness and swathes of faked evidence to support his moral crusade. A crusade for outlawing hemp, not just cannabis, at the League of Nations and inserting it in international opium treaties. Then again after being appointed as US representative by Kennedy in 61, for the sustained pressure at the UN that eventually led to the global war on drugs. Took a while to achieve global compliance there - as other countries had different approaches that had worked very well.