LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — “This is a dangerous drug that will impact our kids. If you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids. That’s what the data shows from around the country.”

Those are the words of then-Gov. Pete Ricketts before a 2021 legislative hearing to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska.

For decades, cannabis has been stigmatized in the United States. The drug was effectively outlawed in the 1937 under the federal “Marihuana Tax Act.” Notice the spelling of marijuana.

Cannabis was popularized in the united states following the Mexican Revolution in 1910. Migrants fleeing north brought the substance with them, creating fear and paranoia among citizens.

The 1936 film “Reefer Madness” helped seal the deal — creating the impression that cannabis drives people to violence

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