Suspect Arthur Hall being interviewed by police, as officer displays marijuana plant recovered in raid, Los Angeles, Calif., 1950. Los Angeles Daily News.

Deputy Dwight Smith shown dragging a load of marijuana “trees” from roadside patch in Rosemead, Calif., 1948.

“BONFIRE MATERIAL — Dep. Dwight Smith of Los Angeles Sherrif’s squad is shown as he drags a load of marijuana ‘trees’ from roadside patch in Rosemead where the ‘trees’ were found growing. The narcotic weeds later were destroyed in ‘$20,000 bonfire.’ Federal agents participated in the ‘raid’ and they reported that some of the weeds were 10 feet high. Apparently they were growing wild near busy street.”

(Note how three of the guys are smoking tobacco–JC)

From Changing Times: Los Angeles in Photographs, 1920-1990 at the UCLA Library.