The Great Hemp Conspiracy Part 3 | Cannabis in the Industrial Age: Anslinger, DuPont & Hearst: The Power Players

Cannabis in the Industrial Age: Part 3 – Anslinger, DuPont & Hearst: The Power Players

Part 3 of The Great Hemp Conspiracy

By the early 1930s, the industrial hemp industry faced powerful opposition. Key figures emerged whose financial and political influence would shape the future of cannabis in America. Among them were Harry Anslinger, DuPont, William Randolph Hearst, and their backer, Andrew Mellon, the Treasury Secretary and major DuPont investor.

Anslinger’s Job Security Crisis

When Prohibition ended in 1933, Anslinger was suddenly out of a job. The government needed to reassign capable administrators, and Anslinger leveraged connections to secure a position enforcing narcotics laws. This personal career pressure made him an eager participant in campaigns that criminalized cannabis, positioning him as a loyal servant to the interests of the elite.

DuPont & Industrial Interests

At the same time, DuPont had invested heavily in synthetic alternatives to hemp products, including fibers, plastics, and industrial oils. They feared hemp’s cheap availability could threaten their financial interests. Large loans tied to these ventures created immense pressure to influence policy and protect profit margins.

Hearst & the Pulp Empire

William Randolph Hearst controlled massive tracts of timber for paper production. Hemp, which could have been used to make paper cheaply, posed a direct threat to his empire. Combined with DuPont’s financial leverage and Anslinger’s regulatory role, Hearst’s media outlets ran sensationalized stories linking cannabis to crime and moral decay — shaping public perception in favor of prohibition.

The Banker Behind the Curtain

Backing these players was Andrew Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury and a major investor in DuPont. Mellon’s influence provided both the financial and political muscle needed to align the interests of industry and government, effectively setting the stage for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 and the broader campaign to suppress hemp.

Sources & Citations

• Booth, Martin. Cannabis: A History. St. Martin’s Press, 2003.
• Abel, Ernest L. Marijuana: The First Twelve Thousand Years. Springer, 1980.
• Russo, Ethan B. “History of Cannabis and Its Preparations in Saga, Science, and Sobriquet.” Chemistry & Biodiversity, vol. 4, 2007.
• Grinspoon, Lester. Marijuana Reconsidered. Harvard University Press, 1971.

In Part 4, we’ll explore the public manipulation and propaganda campaigns that solidified cannabis prohibition, including Hearst’s yellow journalism and Anslinger’s media strategies.