Originally Posted by MaskTVMaura

The REAL reason pot is illegal has to do with historically eliminating competition for the cotton-growers. Hemp has been used for centuries for rope, clothing, paper, and food and can grow abundantly all over the world. When we were first developing North America, the cotton growers lobbied the government to crack down on hemp products, as hemp was cutting into the cotton industry's bottom line. The government agreed and hemp became the "outlaw". Until the cotton industry changes its mind about hemp products, the ban will continue.