Samuel R. Caldwell (February 11, 1880 – June 24, 1941) was one of the first people convicted and sentenced to prison for not paying his marijuana tax cannabis under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, according to federal files.[1]
Samuel R. Caldwell | |
|---|---|
 A photo of Caldwell after his arrest | |
| Born | February 11, 1880 |
| Died | June 24, 1941 (aged 61) |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Conviction(s) | tax fraud Cannabis |
| Criminal penalty | Fined $1,000 and 4 years hard labor |
Biography
editSamuel Caldwell was born on February 11, 1880. He was arrested on October 2, 1937, one day after the Marijuana Tax Act went into effect. He was released from prison in 1940. Caldwell died on June 24, 1941.[2]
References
edit- ^ Glick, Daniel (December 6, 2016). "80 Years Ago This Week, Marijuana Prohibition Began With These Arrests". Leafly.
- ^ "The First Pot POW". Retrieved 2011-03-18.
On the day the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was enacted -- Oct. 2, 1937 -- the FBI and Denver, Colo., police raided the Lexington Hotel and arrested Samuel R. Caldwell, 58, an unemployed labourer and Moses Baca, 26. On Oct. 5, Caldwell went into the history trivia books as the first marijuana seller convicted under U.S. federal law. His customer, Baca, was found guilty of possession.