Home Grown

Marijuana and the Origins of Mexico's War on Drugs

By Isaac Campos | Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

About the book

Historian Isaac Campos combines wide-ranging archival research with the latest scholarship on the social and cultural dimensions of drug-related behavior in this telling of marijuana’s remarkable history in Mexico. Introduced in the sixteenth century by the Spanish, cannabis came to Mexico as an industrial fiber and symbol of European empire. But, Campos demonstrates, as it gradually spread to indigenous pharmacopoeias, then prisons and soldiers' barracks, it took on both a Mexican name — marijuana — and identity as a quintessentially “Mexican” drug. A century ago, Mexicans believed that marijuana could instantly trigger madness and violence in its users, and the drug was outlawed nationwide in 1920.

Home Grown thus traces the deep roots of the antidrug ideology and prohibitionist policies that anchor the drug-war violence that engulfs Mexico today. Campos also counters the standard narrative of modern drug wars, which casts global drug prohibition as a sort of informal American cultural colonization. Instead, he argues, Mexican ideas were the foundation for notions of “reefer madness” in the United States. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone who hopes to understand the deep and complex origins of marijuana’s controversial place in North American history.

Editions of Home Grown

Hardcover
ISBN 9780807835388
Paperback
ISBN 9781469613727
EBook
ISBN 9780807882689
EBook
ISBN 9781469601809
EBook
ISBN 9798893130423
PDF
ISBN 9798890843036

Read an Excerpt

Historian Isaac Campos combines wide-ranging archival research with the latest scholarship on the social and cultural dimensions of drug-related behavior in this telling of marijuana’s remarkable history in Mexico. Introduced in the sixteenth century by the Spanish, cannabis came to Mexico as an industrial fiber and symbol of European empire. But, Campos demonstrates, as it gradually spread to indigenous pharmacopoeias, then prisons and soldiers' barracks, it took on both a Mexican name — marijuana — and identity as a quintessentially “Mexican” drug. A century ago, Mexicans believed that marijuana could instantly trigger madness and violence in its users, and the drug was outlawed nationwide in 1920.

Home Grown thus traces the deep roots of the antidrug ideology and prohibitionist policies that anchor the drug-war violence that engulfs Mexico today. Campos also counters the standard narrative of modern drug wars, which casts global drug prohibition as a sort of informal American cultural colonization. Instead, he argues, Mexican ideas were the foundation for notions of “reefer madness” in the United States. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone who hopes to understand the deep and complex origins of marijuana’s controversial place in North American history.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Home Grown about?

Historian Isaac Campos combines wide-ranging archival research with the latest scholarship on the social and cultural dimensions of drug-related behavior in this telling of marijuana’s remarkable history in Mexico. Introduced in the sixteenth century by the Spanish, cannabis came to Mexico as an industrial fiber and symbol of European empire. But, Campos demonstrates, as it gradually spread to indigenous pharmacopoeias, then prisons and soldiers' barracks, it took on both a Mexican name — marijuana — and identity as a quintessentially “Mexican” drug. A century ago, Mexicans believed that marijuana could instantly trigger madness and violence in its users, and the drug was outlawed nationwide in 1920.

Home Grown thus traces the deep roots of the antidrug ideology and prohibitionist policies that anchor the drug-war violence that engulfs Mexico today. Campos also counters the standard narrative of modern drug wars, which casts global drug prohibition as a sort of informal American cultural colonization. Instead, he argues, Mexican ideas were the foundation for notions of “reefer madness” in the United States. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone who hopes to understand the deep and complex origins of marijuana’s controversial place in North American history.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Home Grown?

History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas

Where can I read a sample of Home Grown?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807835388

How long is Home Grown and how many pages does it have?

Home Grown has 344 page(s)

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Home Grown?

Isaac Campos

Who is the Publisher of the book Home Grown?

The University of North Carolina Press

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Home Grown is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807835388) and paperback(ISBN 9781469613727) and ebook(ISBN 9780807882689) and ebook(ISBN 9781469601809) and ebook(ISBN 9798893130423) and pdf(ISBN 9798890843036)

Where can I buy Home Grown online or support local independent bookshops?

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Where can I buy Home Grown?