text: There was a big anti-marijuana crusade back in the 1930s when millionaires such as Hearst & Dupont considered hemp to be an economic threat to their pulp mills (hemp is cheaper, more durable & saves more trees).\n\nToday, I suspect that it may be the big pharmaceutical companies that are so against marijuana. Because it can be used for such a wide range of ailments & can be grown so cheaply, it's considered a threat to drug manufacturers because they would lose money.