-
Pure Food and Drug Act Enacted
This act required that certain available drugs that include but aren’t limited to alcohol, cocaine, heroin, morphine, and cannabis be precisely labeled with contents and dosage.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Opium Exclusion Act
This was the first national wide drug prohibition law passed through Congress marking the start of a century long drug prohibition. This act outlawed the importation of opium.
For Further Reading Click Here -
International Opium Convention
The first ever international dug control treaty is signed in The Hague during this landmark convention. It bans participating nations from the use of opiates for non-medical purposes, penalize their unauthorized possession and prohibit their sale to certain individuals.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Harrison Narcotics Act
Requires doctors, pharmacists and other medical personell who prescribe opium or coca leaves and its derivatives to register and pay a tax.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Alcohol Prohibition
United States passes a law that nationally bans the sale, production, and transport of alcohol. It is directive by the 18th Amendment to the US constitution and enforced by the Volstead Act.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Federal Bureau of Narcotics Established
Harry J. Ansliger is appointed by President Hoover to be the commissioner of FBN. Says, “Jail offender, then throw away the key,” referring to drug users and dealers.
For Further Reading Click Here -
End of Alcohol Prohibition
-
Marijuanna Tax Act
This act still allows cannabis to be legal but requires that commercial dealers be taxed. Offenders could be fined up to 2000$ and five years’ imprisonment if found in contempt of this law. The act was later found to be unconstitutional and superseded by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970
For Further Reading Click Here -
First Time Methadone is Distributed in the US
Originting in Germany, methadone is distributed in the US as an analgesic. It has become better known as a substitute treatment option for dependent heroin users.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Narcotic Control Act
Raises mandatory minimum sentences, and requires the death penalty for sales of drugs to minors. Senator Price Daniel states that “subversion through drug addiction is an established aim of Communist China.”
For Further Reading Click Here -
Counterculture and Drug Subculture Takes off
-
United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
UN consolidates previous drug treaties into a coherent whole. The convention marks a turning point in global prohibition, introducing it in domestic law worldwide and closing down possibilities of regulated models of production and supply by individual nations.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Nixon Launches "Operation Intercept"
President Richard Nixon targets the smuggling of cannabis in the US over the Mexican border and involves increased surveillance from air and sea, as well as a 3-minute inspection of every vehicle passing the border. The searches are abandoned after 20 days amid widespread complaints.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Comprehensive Drug Abuse and Control Act
Consolidates previous drug laws and reduces penalties for marijuana possession and creates five categories for regulating drugs based on their medicinal value and potential for addiction. In addition, the Act strengthens law enforcement by allowing police to conduct ‘no knock’ searches.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Nixon Formally Launches the "War on Drugs"
President Richard Nixon regards drug abuse as “public enemy number one in the United States,” during his 1971 press conference.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Drug Enforcement Administration is Established
Nixon creates the DEA to coordinate the work of existing drug departments and agencies. The intent of the DEA was to be a ‘super agency’, dealing with all aspects of illegal drug trade and use in the United States.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Jimmy Carter Campaigns on the Decriminalization of Cannabis
Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter runs his campaign on the idea that the U.S. must stop criminalizing drug offenders, dealers, and users alike.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Launch of the "Just Say No" movement
First Lady, Nancy Reagan spearheads this new centerpiece of the Reagan administration
For Further Reading Click Here -
Crack Cocaine Becomes Popular in New York
The new smokable version of cocaine known as Crack developed in the 1980s begins to gain notoriety in the city of New York. It is cheap, powerfully addictive and is quickly associated with ethnic minorities and violent crime.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 Passed
The Act is most significant for its introduction of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offences. Differences in the mandatory minimums for crack vs. powder cocaine are increasingly criticized over the years for promoting racial disparities in sentencing.
For Further Reading Click here -
Iran-Contra Affair Exposed
Time magazine, and other press reports, report that President Reagan administration’s dirty dealing in drugs, arms and paramilitary support.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Pablo Escobar Named one of the Ten Richest People on Earth by Forbes
One of the most prominent drug lords of all time, Pablo Escobar is the seventh richest man in the world and would contrinue to be on that list for the next seven years.
For Further Reading Click Here -
United States Becomes the World's No. 1 Jailer
U.S. has gone from 500,000 incarcerated citizens in 1980 to close to 2,500,000 in 2006 according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin
For Further Reading Click Here -
President Bush Proposes a 50% increase in "War on Drugs" Spending
For Further Reading Click HereNew proposal adds an additional 1.2 billion dollars to the prohibition enforcement as Bush urges Americans to “face this evil as a nation united.” -
United States Military Funding on "The War on Drugs" reaches 1 Billion
US funding of the War on Drugs officially reaches 1 billion dollars in 1992.
For Further Reading Click Here -
"War on Drugs" Spending Reaches 8 Billion
Less than 5 years after reaching 1 billion dollars, the U.S. funding on the War on Drugs has reached an unprecedented 8 billion dollars.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Invasion of Afghanistan
The counter insurgency and counter narcotics mission begins in Afghanistan and results in more money being spent by U.S. government.
For Further Reading Click Here -
Marijuana is legal in Washington and Colorado
In a historic step, the states of Colorado and Washington have voted to legalize the possession/use, production and supply of cannabis.
For Further Reading Click Here