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Marijuana
In the 1600's, marijuana was introduced into Brazil through the slave trade and in the 1900's, it became popular for recreational use among the Mexican laborers and certain fringe groups. -
Pure Food and Drug Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act was introduced to Congress to accomplish national food and drug regulation, but was opposed by the Proprietary Association of America which represented the patent medicine industry. -
Coca Plant
Over 4,000 years ago the coca leaf has been used in ancient rituals and every day gift giving.
The Incas used it as a divine origin and reserved for those who believed themselves descendants of Gods.
In Bolivia, the leaves are chewed by farmers and miners.
The Europeans begin chewing with the Spanish exploration of the New World in the 19th Century.
The Indians believed coca gave them extra strength. -
Sinclair's, The Jungle
Sinclair's, The Jungle, was a dramatic event that led quickly to the adoption of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the publication of Upton Sinclair's, The Jungle, in 1906, where he exposed the "filthy" meat industry in Chicago causing the sales of meat to fall nearly 50 percent. -
Patent Medicines
The main ingredient of patent medicines were opiates and were readily available in the U.S until 1914 and were perscribed for general symptoms and specific diseases. False assumptions led towards the road to recovery. -
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Prohibition
Prohibition became a federal law in 1919 and Mississippi was the first state to ratify prohibition. The 18th Amendment to the Constiution was ratified in Nebraska on January 16th, 1919 and became effective on January 16th, 1920. Ten months later, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act (Volstead Act). The murder rate in the U.S went from 6.8 per 100,000 persons in 1920 to 9.7 in 1933, the year the Prohibition law was repealed and turned into a drug trade. -
The Harrison Act
In 1919, the use of taxing authority to regulate drugs was upheld by the Supreme Court. The Harrison Act provided that any person in the drug dealing business, covered by the act, was required to register annually and pay a special annual tax of $1. -
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Crack Cocaine
In 1922, Congress officially defined cocaine as a narcotic and prohibited the importance of most cocaine and coca leaves, increasing the price and limiting the supply. In the 1980's, crack became popular (especially in New York) with the younger population and increased the violence in the drug market. In 1987, the popularity began to die off. -
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Drug Rehabilitation Programs
In the 1960's,medical professionals began to reassert themselves on the issue of drug use and treatment.
1961, Cali developed a civil commitment program in which addicts were taken into custody & committed to a treatment program.
1963, Prettyman Commission recommended mandatory prison sentences for drug convictions.
1966, New York established Narcotic Addiction Control Commission & Congress passed the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act. -
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Ronald Reagan
During his time as President, drugs became a major political issue. On June 19th, 1986, Len Bias, a basketball star, died of a cocaine overdose, followed by football player, Don Rogers on June 27th. The "Just Say No" advertisements begin only a few months after those overdoses. In 1988, the fight against drugs was a huge importance in the Presidential Campaign. (The Anti-Drug Act of 1988).
