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The Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, which was proposed by Representative Francis Harrison, is passed in congress and signed into law. The act regulated and taxed the importation, production, and distribution of opiates and Coca products.
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The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution is passed, which prohibits the production, transportation, and sale of alcohol nation wide.
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The Federal Bureau of Narcotics is establishe as part of the United States Treasury department. It's main duties are to enforce the 18th Ammendment and to fight opium and heroin smuggling.
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The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment. The production, transportation, and sale of alcohol is legal again in the United States.
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President Franklin Roosevelt signs into law a nuisance tax on marijuana (known at the time as marihuana). The law required all destributers of marijuana to submit a detailed report of their transactions to the government, in order to recieve a tax stamp that made marijuana retail legal.
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Congress passes the Boggs Act, which increases penalties for drig offendrs fourfold, and introduces mandatory punishment.
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The Daniel Act is passed in Congress and increases drig related penalities eight times more than those stated in the Boggs Act of 1951
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Dr. Robert DuPont performs urine tests on every inmate entering the Washington D.C. prison, and concludes that 44% of the entering inmates test positive for heroin use.
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The CSA is passed in Congress, and regulates the importation, distribution, possession, and use of certain drugs.
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President Nixon declares that America has declared a "War on Drugs", and calls drugs "Public enemy number one in the United States". Enforcment of the "War" goes to the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. A large majority of the funding for the War on drugs goes to law enforcment and prisons rather than rehabilitation.
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The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse reccomend legalizing small amounts of marijuana. Congress and President Nixon ignore the suggestion.
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The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is formed.
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Illegal Drug Use in the United States Peaks, when 25 million Americans admot to using an illegal drug within 30 days of a survey.
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President Reagan forms the Office of national Drug Control Policy. It's purpose is to cooordinate drug related legislation, security, and research.
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Joycelyn Elders, the U.S. Surgeon General publicly states that legalization of drugs "should be studied".
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The Obama Administration says it will not use the term "War on Drugs" and will devote signifigatnly more funds to rehabilitation and civic reform.
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A proposed law in California that would legalize the use, sale, and possession of small amounts of marijuana in Claifornia is narrowly defeated.
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The Federal Budget for fiscal year 2011 dedicates many new funds to drug rehabilitation.
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Washington and Colorado both pass laws in general elections that legalize the possession, sale, and use of marijuana in the states. These state laws go directly against Federal Law, and could be the source of conflict between state and federal government in the years to come.
