Sensimilla Jones-- thanks very much for the comments. Regarding first and foremost the parts left out: as it stands, my paper was right on the edge of the upper page limit. I would have loved to go on for a long time about this subject, but this particular paper wasn't the right tool for the job. Moreover, the paper focuses mostly on how Anslinger worked to make marijuana illegal, a mere fraction of his wonderful political antics. I had to narrow my spectrum considerably to get it within the page limit, and was forced to exclude his later years (some of his most entertaining, in my opinion) in the interest of paper length.

Regarding the speculation part, I was just doing a little CYA job. The teacher to whom I gave this is highly anti-marijuana, so I just wanted to make it clear that this paper was not meant as any sort of anti-prohibition, anti-establishment political manifesto.

Furthermore, my two sources were Herer's "The Emperor Wears no Clothes" and Larry Sloman's "Reefer Madness"-- an excellent read, by the way. As for the technology issues, there is always a lag time between a patent and industrial implementation; perhaps that accounts for the time differences?

Regarding when recreational use started, you're right-- medicinal tinctures started showing up in the late 1800's, and minor recreational use likely soon followed. However, recreational use became more commonplace in the early 20th century (perhaps it had something to do with when the outlawed opium?), and had it's heyday in the roaring 1920's. Thanks for the Rayon factoid, though!

I only put ThJ because it was an inside joke in our history class; you're right; it is Thomas Jefferson.

Thanks for the facts and revisions-- I'm sure I'll recycle this paper for college, so your help won't go unused.

If I may ask, how old are you and what's your current occupation. I always love learning what various "smart stoners" are doing with their lives outside their counterculture involvement.