in 1932 and harry anslinger be name head of the federal bureau of narcotic . the position be not much more than a figurehead because all the bureau be involve in be the amount of morphine etc that be in medicine like cough syrup . well anslinger want more power and the best way to get power be to put more narcotic under his control . so he set his sight on marijuana . he meet and become friend with charles randolph hearst ( of citizan kane fame ) and they talk about their share dislike of cannabis . now during this time and there be a real movement to make paper out of hemp . hearst do not like this notion because he own so many timber yard and such and so he and anslinger agree to work together to get hemp criminalize . first hearst start publish false and sensational story about the effect of marijuana . then anslinger hook up with a film producer and the end result be reefer madness . crazy a it sound and the scheme work . the year after reefer madness be release and congress pass the marijuana tax stamp act which make possession and or or use of marijuana a criminal offense .