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  Thanksgiving 1933: ‘The First Time That Devil’s Brew Hit My Lips’

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  Prohibition had just been repealed in Illinois on Thanksgiving 1933. At age 21, Studs Terkel had his first taste of what he calls “the devil’s brew.” His first drink was alongside the residents of the Wells-Grand Hotel, a men’s hotel near Washington Square Park that his mother owned. His mother decided to have Thanksgiving dinner with everyone that year since many of them didn’t have anyone else to celebrate with.  Technically, Prohibition was officially repealed at the federal level on […]

• Hemp For Victory

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  This is a video produced by H.E.M.P. (Help Eliminate Marijuana Prohibition), a political action group, which showcases Hemp For Victory, a 1942 film produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in which American farmers are encouraged to grow hemp for the war effort. The USDA film is bookended by commentary from Jack Herer, H.E.M.P.’s founder/spokesman, who espouses on the many uses of hemp, and asks for money. While Herer provides much useful information, some of his claims seem quite dubious; especially his assertion that marijuana users will live an average of one year longer than non-marijuana users. Herer also outlines the U.S. government’s long denial and recent confirmation of the existence of the 1942 film.