no it's not true; i believe it has spanish or hispanic origins though: marihuana , but i couldn't tell you the actual history

hearst did indeed exploit the mexicans as "evil pot-smoking" people, who go crazy and rape your nice white women when they smoke weed
onequickmove Reviewed by onequickmove on . the term "marijuana" I read that the term "marijuana" was a term made up by William Randolph Hearst during his quest to put negative connotations on hemp. Therefore, I propose using the term "cannabis" whenever possible while referring to the herb. Rating: 5