Ep. 0184: DHP Villains: Harry Anslinger

At the 2019 Midwest Peace & Liberty Fest in Delton, Mich., CJ took the occasion of Michigan's recent legalization of marijuana to do a DHP Villains feature on the man who is arguably the most important of the Founding Fathers of the US government's war on drugs. Join CJ as he discusses the career of Harry J. Anslinger, from his early life to working for the State Department, then the Treasury Department, culminating in his tenure as first Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from 1930-62, during which time (among other things) he presided over the beginning of the federal government's criminalization of marijuana and the continuous amping-up of the drug war and its penalties; along the way we'll also cover Anslinger's racism & xenophobia, as well as his connections to the OSS and CIA, including lending those agencies some of his top agents for shady purposes, including some of the MK-Ultra experiments. Support the Dangerous History Podcast via Patreon, SubscribeStar, or Bitbacker. CJ’s DHP Amazon Wish List Other ways to support the show The Dangerous History Podcast is a member of the Recorded History Podcast Network, the Dark Myths Podcast Collective & LRN.fm’s podcast roster. CJ’s Picks (Amazon Affiliate Links) The Protectors: Harry J. Anslinger and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 1930-1962 Chasing the Scream: The Opposite of Addiction is Connection The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade The Economics of Prohibition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices