The war on dagga sobers up
The arrival of Dutch settlers limited consumption in South Africa
Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
February 28, 2014
February 28, 2014
The apartheid regime was terrified of white people interacting with black people, and saw cannabis as a dangerous enabler. They ensured it stayed prohibited, perceiving it as a "danger" to race relations. It has not always been considered off limits in South Africa. In Basotho tradition, cannabis has long been used to ease childbirth – an appreciation for its analgesic properties shared by many civilisations around the world. In 1887, the report of the Indian immigration commission on the Natal Colony said hemp was as "baneful" for Indian people as it was for black people. It linked cannabis and hemp to crime, laziness and "dagga insanity".
tags:
