Re William Randolf Hearst.
One of the demons behind the Spanish-American war.
"Remember the Maine".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_%28ACR-1%29
Hearst owned huge tracts of forests, & his buddy DuPont had started producing synthetic fibres.
The invention of the cotton gin, then the hemp gin, were seen as major threats. Some history:
http://www.ozarkia.net/bill/pot/RiseFallMarijuana.html
Haven't read it all, but matches what I know about this insanity which dogs us still, mainly because the USA is so entrenched on this road & Canada has followed its big brother. However, there are some bright spots as marijuana decriminalization continues.
Hey, it was all about the fibre !