America and the war on drugs

By Roryiscool07

  • The smoking opium act

    banned the possession and use of opium for smoking, however it could still be sold in medicine

  • The Harrison act

    taxed and regulated cocaine and opiate distribution, importation, and production.

  • The Marihuana tax act

    placed a tax on the sale of cannabis.

  • The controlled substances act was passed by Richard Nixon

    Made 5 "schedules" used to classify drugs, supposedly the most dangerous drugs would be schedule one, however cannabis, mdma, and lsd were portrayed as the main bad drugs even though they really weren't.

  • Richard Nixon says drug use is "Public enemy No. 1."

  • Jimmy Carter runs on a platform including decriminalizing cannabis

  • Period: to

    Carlos Lehder, co founder of the Medellin cartel

    purchases a 165-acre island to refuel planes transporting drugs from Colombia to the United States
  • Period: to

    Ricky ross

    A young man who started selling small amounts of cocaine and began selling tons of crack to low income communities and funneling money to the cia. Eventually he was charged with drug trafficking.
  • Period: to

    Imprisonment of 350,000+ Americans for low level drug offenses

  • Period: to

    Panamanian general Manuel Noriega allows cocaine to be shipped through panama

  • Just say no

    Nancy Reagan launched the "just say no" campaign which highlighted the dangers of drug use

  • Carlos Enrique Lehder Rivas arrested in 1987

    Arrested on smuggling 74 percent of the cocaine used in the united states.

  • anti drug abuse act

    the anti drug abuse act established mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain drug offenses. this law however was racist because it gave longer prison sentences for crack cocaine than powder cocaine and crack was often used more by black Americans because the cia had been planting it in black communities to make them have more crime. people of color were also targeted and arrested on suspicion of drug use at much higher rates than white people.

  • Pablo Escobar becomes 7th richest man in the world

  • Panamanian Gen. Manuel Noriega arrested

    Is currently held in a federal prison in Miami

  • Cannabis first legalized for recreational use