The Threat of Marijuana Leading to the Ruin of White Women

The threat of marijuana leading to the ruin of white women is actually an old tactic. It was used much earlier in the 20th century to outlaw opium dens in San Francisco. The media propagated the idea that Chinese opioid dens were luring in white women, exposing them to addiction and leading them to sexual misconduct with Chinese men. This sentiment is problematic for two reasons. Not only does this paint black men as something less than and dangerous, it also suggests that women are incapable of making autonomous decisions.