h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What is it about cannabis that enrages the Puritans so? The Guide Entry mentions that the US government ordered the destruction of research documents relating to cannabis and suggests that it is because they didn't want kids researching it. I think it's because they can't stand the fact that even the government funded research, commissioned to show the deadly effects of the drug, couldn't deliver on the mandate.

If it's not harmful then why is it still illegal? I suggest that it's not because they hate the drug; it's because the sight or even the thought of a person who has smoked it makes their blood boil. Picture in your mind. The swollen half glazed eyes, that distinctive little Mona Lisa smile, the languid body posture. This mimics the physical appearance of someone who has just had sex.

It illustrates the sociobiological basis for puritanism in general. Millions of years of evolution have adapted us animals not only to have a strong sex drive, but to have an almost equally strong antisex drive. By this I mean that, in an environment of finite resources, it's not enough to get some yourself, you have to stop others from getting theirs. The genes that make us do that win. Richard Dawkins could explain it better.

This is a testable hypothesis. You could get a randomly selected group of subjects and give them some sandardized personality tests. Hook them up to polygraph machines and show them photos of various things but include things like rolled joints, cannabis leaves, pipes, etc. but also people under the influence and not. Throw in some pics from the Playboy. I predict that the strongest reactions will be in order 1) pics from the Playboy 2) folks who have smoked (especially women) 3) drug paraphenalia 4) happy different people (coloured or whatever) 5) everything else.

Matching the results to personality types would show that sphinctocrimptics (I'm not sure that's an actual clinical term, but you know who I mean) would score the highest on the rage-o-meter.

Good luck on getting funding for your research.