969 was the first year Gallup ever polled Americans about legalizing marijuana. At the time, only 12% of Americans supported it, while 84% were opposed, illustrating how contentious the “for and against” debate was in the public eye.

The subject was hot news in 1970 and this documentary presented on PBS was considered radical
The Controlled Substances Act (1970) was a landmark legislation was a massive news story as it officially classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug—the most restrictive category, alongside heroin.

In 1970, president Nixon appointed a commission to study the drug. When the commission later recommended decriminalization in 1972, it caused a major rift between scientific findings and government policy.