The first drug laws were initiated in the 1830’s in Massachusetts, limiting alcohol availability in U.S. and denying the sale of alcohol to Indians. This soon spread and by the 1850’s, thirteen states had passed alcohol prohibition laws.
In 1875, a San Francisco Ordinance banned the operation of or visiting of opium dens. Opium itself was not banned, but only a particular setting (aimed at controlling use among Chinese immigrants). This was one of the first laws implemented that proved that racism played a huge role in the creation of modern drug laws.
In the 1900’s, “the fear of Chinese opium dens coupled with stories of supposed cocaine-fueled violence by Blacks down South-- topped by an inflammatory and unsubstantiated accountck to Congress of how cocaine was leading to the raping of White women by Black men-- lead to calls for further restrictions.”[5]
In 1914, The Harrison Act restricts the sale of heroin and cocaine – both legal at the time – and establishes a legal framework for federal intervention on drug policy.
“From 1907 to 1919, 39 states enacted prohibitions and only 2 repealed, showing a resurgence in the Prohibition movement. Some of this was fueled by religious prejudice, with the prohibitionists being Protestant-using Irish-Catholics as examples of decadent drunkenness. 64% of Americans lived in "dry" territory.” [6] This showing that religion discrimination also played a huge role in the making of drug AND alcohol laws.
In 1937, Marijuana Tax Act was passed to tax growers, distributors, sellers, and buyers. While not making it illegal, this act was passed to deter Mexican-Americans from smoking.
In 1965, the Drug Abuse Control Amendments (amphetamines, barbiturates and LSD (added in 1968) “as "dangerous drugs" and allowed for FDA to recommend to Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to control them and other drugs that may later be deemed a problem. This is the first direct prohibition of a drug decreed by the Federal Gov.” This show that the control over the drug problems in the United States were being taking care of with law enforcement.
In 1970 to 1971, Congress enacted The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) into law. The CSA is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacturing, importation, possession, uses and distribution of certain substances is regulated. Thus creating the War on Drugs.
In 1980s, “driven largely by the country’s fixation on crack-cocaine, until, in September 1989, it reached a remarkable 64 percent – one of the most intense fixations by the American public on any issue in polling history. Within less than a year, however, the figure plummeted to less than 10 percent, as the media lost interest. However, the resulting political hysteria had already led to the passage of draconian penalties at the state and federal levels. Even as the drug scare faded from the public mind, these policies produced escalating levels of arrests and incarceration.”[7]
The hysteria of crack cocaine showed that drug use was common in all races, thus creating the mandatory minimum sentence for drugs. The stereotype was that African-Americans used crack cocaine (which was a cheaper form of powder cocaine) while whites used powder cocaine. Creating a mandatory minimum sentence of five years without parole for possession of five grams of crack (to receiving the same sentence with powder cocaine one had to have 500 grams, so 100 to 1).
In 1988 towards the end of the Reagan administration, the Office of National Drug Control Policy was created throughout the government. The position was raised to cabinet-level status by Bill Clinton in 1993.
In 1993, Bill Clinton rejected a “U.S. Sentencing Commission recommendation to eliminate the disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentences. He also rejected, with the encouragement of drug czar General Barry McCaffrey, health secretary Donna Shalala’s advice to end the federal ban on funding for syringe access programs.”[8] The creation of “three strikes” policy put nonviolent drug offenders in prisons for life sentences (the same amount as some violent offenders).
In 2010, he Fair Sentencing Act created the reduction of the crack cocaine disparity from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1 (passed by President Obama).
In 2012, Colorado and Washington passed laws to legalize the consumption, possession, and sale of marijuana.
In 2014, Alaska and Oregon passed laws to legalize the consumption, possession, and sale of marijuana.
In 1875, a San Francisco Ordinance banned the operation of or visiting of opium dens. Opium itself was not banned, but only a particular setting (aimed at controlling use among Chinese immigrants). This was one of the first laws implemented that proved that racism played a huge role in the creation of modern drug laws.
In the 1900’s, “the fear of Chinese opium dens coupled with stories of supposed cocaine-fueled violence by Blacks down South-- topped by an inflammatory and unsubstantiated accountck to Congress of how cocaine was leading to the raping of White women by Black men-- lead to calls for further restrictions.”[5]
In 1914, The Harrison Act restricts the sale of heroin and cocaine – both legal at the time – and establishes a legal framework for federal intervention on drug policy.
“From 1907 to 1919, 39 states enacted prohibitions and only 2 repealed, showing a resurgence in the Prohibition movement. Some of this was fueled by religious prejudice, with the prohibitionists being Protestant-using Irish-Catholics as examples of decadent drunkenness. 64% of Americans lived in "dry" territory.” [6] This showing that religion discrimination also played a huge role in the making of drug AND alcohol laws.
In 1937, Marijuana Tax Act was passed to tax growers, distributors, sellers, and buyers. While not making it illegal, this act was passed to deter Mexican-Americans from smoking.
In 1965, the Drug Abuse Control Amendments (amphetamines, barbiturates and LSD (added in 1968) “as "dangerous drugs" and allowed for FDA to recommend to Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to control them and other drugs that may later be deemed a problem. This is the first direct prohibition of a drug decreed by the Federal Gov.” This show that the control over the drug problems in the United States were being taking care of with law enforcement.
In 1970 to 1971, Congress enacted The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) into law. The CSA is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacturing, importation, possession, uses and distribution of certain substances is regulated. Thus creating the War on Drugs.
In 1980s, “driven largely by the country’s fixation on crack-cocaine, until, in September 1989, it reached a remarkable 64 percent – one of the most intense fixations by the American public on any issue in polling history. Within less than a year, however, the figure plummeted to less than 10 percent, as the media lost interest. However, the resulting political hysteria had already led to the passage of draconian penalties at the state and federal levels. Even as the drug scare faded from the public mind, these policies produced escalating levels of arrests and incarceration.”[7]
The hysteria of crack cocaine showed that drug use was common in all races, thus creating the mandatory minimum sentence for drugs. The stereotype was that African-Americans used crack cocaine (which was a cheaper form of powder cocaine) while whites used powder cocaine. Creating a mandatory minimum sentence of five years without parole for possession of five grams of crack (to receiving the same sentence with powder cocaine one had to have 500 grams, so 100 to 1).
In 1988 towards the end of the Reagan administration, the Office of National Drug Control Policy was created throughout the government. The position was raised to cabinet-level status by Bill Clinton in 1993.
In 1993, Bill Clinton rejected a “U.S. Sentencing Commission recommendation to eliminate the disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentences. He also rejected, with the encouragement of drug czar General Barry McCaffrey, health secretary Donna Shalala’s advice to end the federal ban on funding for syringe access programs.”[8] The creation of “three strikes” policy put nonviolent drug offenders in prisons for life sentences (the same amount as some violent offenders).
In 2010, he Fair Sentencing Act created the reduction of the crack cocaine disparity from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1 (passed by President Obama).
In 2012, Colorado and Washington passed laws to legalize the consumption, possession, and sale of marijuana.
In 2014, Alaska and Oregon passed laws to legalize the consumption, possession, and sale of marijuana.