Britain outlaws cannabis

Cannabis was lumped into the broader war on drugs that began around the world at the turn of the 20th century. The substance’s medical effects were well-documented — for example, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse in 1977 noted marijuana was used frequently for “asthma, bronchitis and loss of appetite.” But in the spirit of the Progressive Era in the U.S. it was considered to be as dangerous as alcohol or any other mind-altering substance. In the U.K. also there was not much sympathy for cannabis, as laws passed banning it.

On this day, September 8, in 1928 cannabis was added Dangerous Drug Act by the British Parliament. The Act itself was first established in 1920 to control cocaine.

Although marijuana and cocaine were forbidden both in the U.S. and Britain, amphetamines, first synthesized in the late 1880s, became a great boon for the armed forces. While keeping the same drawbacks as cocaine, it had a much longer affect time, and during World War II, both the Allied and Axis armies routinely issued amphetamines to their men to counteract fatigue, elevate mood, and heighten endurance.