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Cannabis or also known as. 'Hemp' evolved from Northern China and nurtured as a fiber plant. It was used to make items such as fishing nets, ropes and clothing. The Chinese also used Hemp and Cannabis seeds for food and made oil as well. Cannabis grew within the agriculture rapidly and was also incorporated in pottery. Individuals used Cannabis for invention purposes and valued the fibers included in the plant

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It is believed that opium is one of the oldest used drugs both for medicinal and recreational purposes in the world. The poppy plant that opium originates from,  Papaver somniferum, was grown and cultivated in the Mediterranean region ( DEA Drug fact sheet, 2020) . The seed of the plant is what contains the drug. In modern Iraq, The ancient civilization, Sumerians were the first to cultivate the poppy where opium originates and isolate it from the seed capsule (Brownstein, 1993). The white fluid that comes from the seed was air dried and then scraped into wood boxes or rolled up for sale.  This means that opium in poppy form has been around for millenniums and that it was common practice to use it in ancient times . It also gives insight as to how it has been used  both medically and recreationally since ancient times. By 1500B.C. Opium was regularly combined with hemlock as a way to end the suffering of the medically ill and  medicinally in soaked sponges. With the foresight of modern neuroscience and chemistry we now understand that combining opioids with other substances can lead to deadly results. However at this time period they only had the observable reactions of people to go on  so it was used as euthanasia method by ancient Greeks.

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Cannabis was now considered a healing property and was extremely popular. Chinese Emperor labels the name Cannabis as "Ma". Cannabis is also now used for herbal medicine and treats fever, menstrural cramps, gout and malaria.

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2000 BCE Cannabis found in Sacred Hindu Texts

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2000 BCE Cannabis found in Sacred Hindu Texts

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Ancient Hindu texts state that Cannabis has psychoactive effects but are also used for treatments and illnesses. These texts also state that cannabis prolonged life and encouraged a healthy sleep cycle. It was used to treat any pain, aches as well. In India, Cannabis is mixed with milk for an anesthetic to undergo surgeries and procedures. Spiritually, the Hindu God named Shiva fell asleep under the plant and tested the herb to treat anxiety.

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The silk road is the route of trade that enabled trade from Asia to Europe during ancient times. It is around this time that Opium medicine is found on record in both India and China, places where it was previously unknown (Brownstein, 1993). It is believed that during this period  the Silk Road played an instrumental role in the spread of opium in new regions. Though it could have been earlier as traces of the silk road can be found as early as 3rd century as Greek records show Indian medicine being used by them in that time period. This is important because it lead to the spread of medicinal opium normalizes its consumption and introduces it to new regions that may nor know of all the side effects it can have.

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Pre-20th century: Past (Origins & Early Use)

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Pre-20th century: Past (Origins & Early Use)

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Fun Fact: When I traveled to Peru in 2016 when I was walking up Machu Picchu, I had to chew on Coca leaves to withstand the elevation.

Pre-20th Century: Ancient Use of Cocaine

Place: South America (Andes Mountains)

Event: Indigenous peoples of the Andes used coca leaves for thousands of years as a stimulant to reduce fatigue and hunger. Cocaine, the active compound in coca leaves, was not yet isolated but was widely consumed in natural form.

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1492 - Tobacco was Introduced to Europe 

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1492 - Tobacco was Introduced to Europe 

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Christopher Columbus observes Native Americans using tobacco.It is reintroduced to Europe, and its use as a medical and recreational herb is very popular. Early use is legal instrumental use and tobacco as a natural remedy and cultural novelty.

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1545 – Cannabis Introduced to the Americas

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1545 – Cannabis Introduced to the Americas

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Spanish settlers introduce cannabis to Mexico in order to grow hemp, which was used to produce ropes, sails and other supplies for the navy and the land sector. It’s not widely used or known to be psychoactive yet. This was when cannabis in the Americas became a productive crop. Its use, eventually going beyond industrial applications, shapes its place in Mexican culture and ultimately its integration into the US.

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1607 - Colonial Settlements Introduce Alcohol 

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1607 - Colonial Settlements Introduce Alcohol 

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Early settlers arrive in America with rum and beer, drinking alcohol for social, medical and religious reasons. This custom makes alcohol a cultural staple, setting the stage for its more future role in society. The alcohol is an legal instrumental product, used for social and medical purposes – emblematic of the cultural significance of alcohol in early America.

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1612 - First Tobacco Plantation in Virginia

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1612 - First Tobacco Plantation in Virginia

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John Rolfe transforms tobacco into a cash crop in Virginia, increasing its economic significance. Tobacco becomes synonymous with colonial expansion and the use of slave labour, making tobacco part of early America’s socio-economic system.

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Britain imposes a tax on imported molasses for rum production in order to keep the colonies in check. The ban results in illicit rum production – a prime example of government regulation shaping the culture of drinking. This establishes the first links between government regulation and alcohol, which would continue to dictate American alcohol policy.

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1800s - Introduction of Cigarette Rolling Machines

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1800s - Introduction of Cigarette Rolling Machines

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As the production of cigarettes gets mechanised, tobacco is made both cheaper and more accessible, making it available on a massive scale. With this tech, tobacco became a mass-market commodity, normalising its product.This technological innovation marks a shift in tobacco from a luxury to a mass-market product, driving its social normalization.

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The British empire in its ever growing greed for wealth and goods does one of the most horrendous acts: they knowingly begin to import opium into China for the sole reason as to gain access to Chinese goods such as tea as well as get rid of the opium that they gained from colonizing India (Haiven, 2018). At the time smoking was socially  prevalent and  millions of Chinese people became addicted  and opened the door for the British looting of the Emperor's Summer Beijing palace. This is important because it is the advent of  vilification of the Chinese as well the first clear association between them and opium though it is due to British greed. The Chinese are victims but are seen as to blame for the incident due to Britain's white nationalism and superiority complex. They see the Chinese as other and more than willing to dehumanize them such as with  disgusting caricatures that blame them for all the problems.

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In 1805 Fredrich Sertürner was first to ever isolate part of a natural product , opium, through the suberion of it in its crude form in hot ammonia and water, alkaloid chemistry (Huxtable & Schwarz,  2001).  The new  crystalline substance he created was dubbed Morphine after the Greek god. This is important because it was a major change to the chemical structure of  the original opium that changed how pure it was.  He made it to isolate the  new substance so that it would mitigate the addiction factor of opium in its crude form. Sadly he made an even more addictive substance that could only be consumed in smaller quantities. This means that this new substance was  more addicting than the natural opium because the effects are more severe and the scientific innovation that was meant to help reduce addiction made it more addicting because it isolated the part of opium that controls pain but also increased its addiction factor..The isolation of morphine from opium launched a wave of attempts to isolate other substances from their naturally occurring forms.

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1826 - American Temperance Society Founded 

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1826 - American Temperance Society Founded 

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The American Temperance Society promotes abstinence from alcohol, arguing that alcohol harms health and morality.The society’s defence of voluntary abstinence is precursor to the temperance movement and the social construction of drug crises throughout the 19th century, alcohol becoming a social and moral hazard.

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Morphine becomes a commercial drug though Pharmaceutical companies like Merck, the largest and it is considered medicinally as a general cure for ailments (Chambers,  2011). This is important because it led to the widespread use of morphine and as it became easily available which facilitated  widespread addiction in the USA. Codeine was discovered from opium around this time as well.  It didn’t help that just a few years later it would also be highly used in the Civil War leading to a new wave of  people becoming addicted. There were nor regulations at the time so use of it in other medicine was also rampant. This means that all  age groups and people come into contact with this drug and would over time become addicted.

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1830s-1840s - Irish Immigrants Blamed for Alcohol Consumption

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1830s-1840s - Irish Immigrants Blamed for Alcohol Consumption

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Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Famine. They dominated American cities were often blamed for their own alcohol consumption. Anti-immigrant ideology linked Irish people to inordinate drinking and led to portrayals of them as "drunks" in popular media and popular discussion. This is an example of the ways in which ethnic and racial matters became related to drugs, connecting alcohol consumption with particular immigrant groups.

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Francis Rynd of Dublin was able to make the first hypodermic needle then in 1853 Alexander wood was able to make a syringe that worked with the new hypodermic needle (Craig, 2018) The invention of the hypodermic needle revolutionized the world of medicine as it severely increased the speed at which medicine could be provided and work on a patient. By injecting a substance directly to the blood it made it easier and quicker for it to pass the blood brain barrier in the brain and work to stop the pain in the case of morphine. It also had the unintended consequence of enabling people with addiction to get high quicker. This in combination with the various new refinements of natural opium( ie: morphine, codeine, and later cocaine) shows how these drugs were able to create such a wave of addiction. Especially as doctors were under the notion that only smoking it created addiction and thus injection was safer.

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1846 - Maine Becomes First State to Ban Alcohol 

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1846 - Maine Becomes First State to Ban Alcohol 

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Called the "Maine Law," it was the first state-wide ban on alcohol, reflecting political attempts to curb alcohol-related social harm. Maine’s alcohol prohibition sets a precedent for other states to ban alcohol as a lawful remedy for perceived social malaise. Maine’s alcohol ban introduces absolute deterrence as a legal response.

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1840s-1860s – Chinese Immigration and the California Gold Rush

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1840s-1860s – Chinese Immigration and the California Gold Rush

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Thousands of Chinese workers come to the United States to work in the Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad. Some take with them opium-smoking, which is different from the medicinal opium of white Americans. It racially tars opium-smoking as a "foreign vice" and breeds anti-Chinese sentiment. White Americans find the practice unjust and corrupt, providing the foundation for discriminatory policies.

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Place: Germany (Europe)

Event: German chemist Albert Niemann isolates the active ingredient from coca leaves, naming it "cocaine." This marks the beginning of its use in Western medicine.

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Bull Durham is one of the first national tobacco brands, using marketing to promote cigarettes. Early marketing strategies establish tobacco as an emblem of American masculinity.

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By the 1850s there was a growing anti-Chinese sentiment largely due to the media representation that  swept its way into American society(Chambers, 2011).  The Chinese were commonly associated with smoking opium by the media of the time. This racist rhetoric was most prevalent on the West coast where the Chinese were also commonly in competition with the white people who also lived in the USA which really all together sparked an intense anti-Chinese sentiment. Because of the combination of  both, there were increasing waves of anti-Chinese hate throughout the country. The Chinese were depicted by the media as  to be the cause of all problems and were even said to be “evil” or the “plague“  (Chambers, 2011).  This means that the Chinese population were used as a scapegoat for all the problems of the society but especially for opium addiction which was said by the media to be more addicting when smoked  even though there was no evidence of  it. The anti Chinese hate was so prevalent that the USA enacted the first anti immigration laws  and opium laws to specifically target the Chinese population.

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In 1880 the first federal opium law was passed in which Chinese living in America could not import opium. This means that even though white citizens could, the Chinese were specifically targeted for this partially due to growing tensions due to the economic downturn. However it is also baffling because at the time there is  prevalence in the medicinal use of morphine and other opiates that is considered socially normalized (Chambers, 2011). However, smoking opium is considered by many as people who were considered  low class: Chinese, poor, gamblers, and artists. It was this prejudice that led the general public to believe that only those who smoked it would become addicted, which wasn’t helped by the belief that injection would not cause addiction. This is important because there is no real reason to vilify one mode of opium consumption while the other is normalized except that it creates a justification of racism and prejudice

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1881 - Patent for the Cigarette Rolling Machine

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1881 - Patent for the Cigarette Rolling Machine

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Bonsack patents the rolling cigarette, which revolutionises tobacco manufacturing. The increased supply of cigarettes escalates the smoking, promoting a shift towards legalized smoking for recreation.

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1882 Gold Rush & the Chinese exclusion Act

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1882 Gold Rush & the Chinese exclusion Act

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The 50’s Gold rush of California brought waves of Chinese immigrants seeking to make their own wealth in the USA; they often did the most dangerous jobs and for fractions of what their white counterparts would make (Chambers, 2011).  The mining boom didn’t last much and many turned to new places for jobs like the railroad industry though they worked in many industries and made their own small businesses. This meant that for a while most of the pacific railway was built by the Chinese immigrants which did cause some friction between white workers that were competing in the labor market. This created increasing anti-Chinese sentiment that lead to riots all over the west coast. It also sparked anti Chinese Labor laws , such as the 1882  Chinese Exclusion Act which denied Chinese immigrants specifically US naturalization. This meant that the country that was founded by immigrants taking others land was now excluding an ethnicity solely based on white nationalism and prejudice.

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Marijuana extracts are frequently found in patent drugs to treat pain, migraines and sleeplessness. It is not regulated or stigmatised and is sold over-the-counter by big pharmaceutical companies. The early history of medical marijuana means it’s a well-established drug. This lack of regulation contrasts sharply with its subsequent criminalisation and racialised accounts in the 20th century

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In an effort to make a safer, less addicting opiate there were many medical companies, like Bayer Company   that began to try synthesizing opiates (Brownstein, 1993). This resulted in the creation of heroin and it was advertised to be  stronger than morphine but also with no propensity of addition. This means that even though it wasn’t found to actually do the things it claimed, heroin was introduced and marketed as a safer alternative and led to many people becoming addicted to it. The pharmaceutical companies often try to create new thing based of naturally occurring substances  but end up making more addicting versions of the substance leading to more addiction.

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Late 1800s - Early 1900s: Cocaine in Medicine

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Late 1800s - Early 1900s: Cocaine in Medicine

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Place: Worldwide

Event: Cocaine is used as a topical anesthetic in surgeries, and even in products like Coca-Cola (which originally contained coca leaf extract).

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1903-The first barbiturate was discovered 

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1903-The first barbiturate was discovered 

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Barbiturates were discovered by chemists Emil Fischer and Joseph von Mering. At the time, it was used to put dogs to sleep. It was a sedative and had hypnotic effects and was named Veronal. The name Veronal comes from a place in Italy known to be a peaceful place.

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1909 International Opium Conference and the results 

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1909 International Opium Conference and the results 

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In 1909  a new opium law stated that it  could only be imported for medicinal use as decided from  the International Opium Conference (Chambers, 2011). This meant that even though it was meant to be as unbiased as possible, since opium was becoming a big problem as  there were many people addicted to opium derivatives during this time period the Chinese were the ones that were singled out due to them preferring  smoking opium. This is less overtly racist and is instead subtle in not prohibiting smoking opium but making it less accessible and harder to maintain especially compared to prescribed opium derivatives. This is because it limited who could give someone opium or its derivatives. In fact  white women were especially addicted as doctor’s often prescribed laudanum of menstruation pains; a survey even suggested that 56-71% of addicts were white women even though Chinese people were the ones who were villainized by the public. The Chinese population were seen as low class, because  they were labor rail workers . This created a stereotype that the Chinese immigrants even though they were often just escaping  the pillaging that the British were enacting in their country were the problem. This  also created the narrative that those who were addicted to opium, smokers, were committing heinous acts and were harmful to society. Even though addiction at the time was more prevalent though who got it medically.

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1910-1920s – Mexican Immigration and the Mexican Revolution

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1910-1920s – Mexican Immigration and the Mexican Revolution

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Immigrants introduce marijuana-smoking recreationally into the United States, especially into border states like Texas and California, following the Mexican Revolution. Americans begin to connect the drug with Mexican workers, depicted as homicidal, lazy in racist ads.
Mexican immigrants arrive at the same time as recreational marijuana becomes legal. Prostitution becomes interwoven with anti-immigrant sentiment and fear-mongering is waged against Mexican populations.

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The first ready-to-smoked cigarette company, Camel is founded by RJ Reynolds. Cigarettes become easily accessible due to aggressive advertising, for example through free sample giveaways. Tobacco is put front and centre in media portrayals, marketing it as a contemporary necessity.

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The next piece of government legislation that comes to pass is the Harrison Narcotics Act which states that only licensed  professionals can dispense narcotics and cocaine and that the practice has to be in good faith . This also means that doctors, pharmacy companies and pharmacists have to have a license to dispense of these as well as pay fees for it, taxes.  This is important because it provided significant ground work in limiting the incidence of new people becoming hooked on drugs. However it does have some faults as it does use vague language that can be misinterpreted such as when and why the drug can be prescribed. This also means that the people who can't find drugs the legal method will have to seek them elsewhere.

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1919 - 18th Amendment Ratified and Volstead Act Passed 

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1919 - 18th Amendment Ratified and Volstead Act Passed 

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The 18th Amendment forbids alcohol to be made, sold or transported. The Volstead Act imposes this ban, which began in 1920. This is also the moment when the political and social resistance to alcohol reached its height, driven by the temperance movement and moral entrepreneurs who viewed alcohol as a public health and moral crisis. Prohibition is relative deterrence — the law aims to prevent people from drinking alcohol through a national ban.

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1920 - Prohibition and the Rise of Bootlegging 

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1920 - Prohibition and the Rise of Bootlegging 

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Prohibition causes bootlegging, organised crime and speakeasies. Criminalising alcohol production causes mass disobedience and shows the discrepancy between state control and popular behaviour. This is a period that reveals alcohol’s criminalisation as a manifestation of an ambivalent social and legal conflict. This went on till 1933

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1920s-1930s: Cocaine’s Decline in Medicine

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1920s-1930s: Cocaine’s Decline in Medicine

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Place: United States, Europe

Event: Widespread abuse and the dangerous side effects of cocaine lead to regulation and criminalization. The U.S. passes the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (1914), severely restricting cocaine use.

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1925 – International Drug Control and Early Restrictions

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1925 – International Drug Control and Early Restrictions

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America helped to add cannabis to the International Opium Convention, which is one of the earliest measures to regulate marijuana. In the US, states such as California enact bans on marijuana use, targeting Mexican and Chinese immigrant populations. These early laws are less about public health and more about policing immigrant populations. Cannabis globalization opens the door to the war on drugs.

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Tobacco companies broadcast radio and print advertisements advertising cigarettes as a leisurely, elegant lifestyle choice. Advertisements project smoking into the culture and everyday reality.

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1930 – Formation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics

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1930 – Formation of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics

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Harry Anslinger’s bureau uses racist propaganda to spread the message that smoking marijuana makes you violent, insane and corrupt. Mexicans and blacks are routinely implicated in such narratives. Anslinger’s campaigns turn marijuana into the antithesis of racial and social fears, smothering racist stereotypes in US drug policy. His power results in widespread national prohibitions of marijuana.

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The 21st Amendment overturns the 18th Amendment, bringing Prohibition to an end, and legalizing alcohol production and sale. This movement demonstrates that public opinion is evolving, and Prohibition has more to lose (crime, economic loss) than to gain. The repeal underscores the ongoing debate over individual freedom versus state regulation.

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The propaganda movie Reefer Madness portrays marijuana as a drug that leads to crime, psychosis and social decay. The movie is targeted to young adults, and presents marijuana as a menace to white middle-class families. Reefer Madness amplifies the moral panic over marijuana and reinforces racial and social stereotypes. It turns into a cultural weapon for justifying oppressive anti-marijuana policies.

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The bill heavily taxes and regulates marijuana, making it a crime. The law unfairly oppresses Mexican and Black populations in the name of public health. Although disguised as a tax measure, the bill is part of larger attempts to oppress minorities. If marijuana is criminalized, then we will see mass incarceration and racial inequity in drug wars.

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1940s - World War II and Alcohol Consumption 

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1940s - World War II and Alcohol Consumption 

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During World War II, alcohol helps to boost soldiers’ morale and military rations are stocked with booze. Alcohol rises after the war, due to a surge in the social consumption, influenced by a surge in social drinking. the media starts changing, turning alcohol from vice into symbol of social acceptance and play — of changing alcohol behaviour.

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Methadone was discovered when attempting to synthesize a morphine equivalent (Brownstein, 1993). It has a completely different chemical structure to that of morphine and the compound is an agonist of opioid. It is slower acting and can be given orally . This is important because this drug is crucial in the treatment of people with opioid addiction and helps them to reenter society. It is an important step towards recovery and helps greatly with the treatment by not allowing opioid receptors to bind to the site the drug normally would. This is the first proper way of potentially treating an opium addiction with something instead of just therapy.

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Under new federal laws, possession and trafficking of marijuana carry stricter penalties — including mandatory minimum sentences. Despite its lack of scientific proof, marijuana is still regarded as a "gateway drug".
This era cements marijuana’s reputation as a dangerous drug. The crackdown disproportionately affects minority populations that are over-policed and in the prison system

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1950 - Leo Sternbach accidently discovered  benzodiazepine

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1950 - Leo Sternbach accidently discovered  benzodiazepine

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In 1950, Leo Sternbach a polish American chemist working for Hoffman-La Roche accidently discovered benzodiazepine. Benzodiazepines is used as a depressant drug to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. It was a promising new drug that had a low chance of it being addictive and it was an alternative for barbiturates.

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1950 - First Scientific Studies Link Smoking to Cancer

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1950 - First Scientific Studies Link Smoking to Cancer

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In the British Medical Journal, they published the first large study on smoking and lung cancer. These findings mark the beginning of tobacco’s role as a public health problem that moves beyond personal choice to smoking’s medical effects.

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1950s - Advertising Boom in Alcohol Industry 

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1950s - Advertising Boom in Alcohol Industry 

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The alcohol industry invests heavily in advertising, promoting alcohol consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle and social prosperity. This represents the first of a media-led global transition from the view of alcohol as a vice to as a normal, socially acceptable and desirable behaviour, which influences attitudes towards drink.

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The synthesis of benzodiazepines started in the 1950s and tests were created change and provide muscle relaxant, sedative, and anticonvulsant biological properties. Tests were first conducted in animals such as lions, panthers, leopards, and tigers from the zoos. Years later in 1958, clinicals started and were performed on schizophrenic patients, elderly patients in hospitals and outpatients.

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In the animal testing the effect of the drugs were described as "taming". It helped the animals to relax. The schizophrenic patients had no antipsychotic effect but did decrease their anxiety. However, high doses were used in elderly people that were hospitalized so they can asses the sedative and toxic potential. They needed observation incase of any bad effects. The outpatient had a low doses and had minimal negative effects and decreased their intellectual activity.

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1960s-Medical professionals were excited for the medication and it was the most prescribed for years.

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1960s – Marijuana and the Counterculture Movement

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1960s – Marijuana and the Counterculture Movement

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Marijuana becomes the epitome of young adult, artist and activist. The phrase is popular at anti-war rallies, music festivals and civil rights activists. The time is when marijuana transformed its reputation, moving from a crime that harmed minorities to an instrument of personal liberty and political protest. It also sets the tone for future legalisation arguments.

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1960-Barbiturates were used for treatments

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1960-Barbiturates were used for treatments

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It was used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizure disorders. It worked as a depressant and it created sedative effects. It was used before surgeries to relax the body. It helped people sleep for short period of time. It also helped to control seizures.

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1964 - The Surgeon General's Report on Tobacco Raises Health Awareness 

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1964 - The Surgeon General's Report on Tobacco Raises Health Awareness 

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The Surgeon General’s report on tobacco, while addressing smoking, raises questions about drugs such as alcohol. This report marks the beginning of a health-conscious approach to alcohol and its chronic side effects, liver disease and addiction, which reflects the rise of public health concerns.

Surgeon General’s Report that smoking tobacco causes lung cancer, emphysema and other deadly illnesses. This landmark report sets the stage for widespread public health wars against smoking, raising awareness of its risks. The report triggers legislation such as placing health warnings on tobacco packs, and it sets the stage for policies such as limits on tobacco advertising and public smoking.

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As per President Nixon, marijuana is a Schedule I drug with a high potential for abuse and no legitimate medical use. This puts it in the same category as heroin and LSD. It legalizes marijuana’s criminalization at the federal level in the face of growing medical evidence. It increases racial disparities in arrests and incarceration, and fuels the war on drugs.

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1970 - Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act 

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1970 - Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act 

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The act regulates controlled substances, including alcohol, through prohibitions on their use. This law shows that we are becoming a country in which alcohol is considered a health risk, not simply a moral concern. It supports the concept of alcohol as a psychoactive substance, and kickstarts public policy changes to control its use alongside other substances.

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1970-Negative effects and complications using Barbiturates 

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1970-Negative effects and complications using Barbiturates 

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Barbiturates had serious negative effects like confusion, drowsiness, headaches, irritability, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and vertigo. If one experience an overdose the symptoms experienced were difficulty concentrating, impaired judgement, incoordination, sluggishness, speech disturbances, staggering, slow and shallow breathing, coma, and death. It was a addictive drug.

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1970-Barbiturates were replaced by Benzodiazepines 

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1970-Barbiturates were replaced by Benzodiazepines 

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Many were overdosing with barbiturates since it was an addictive drug. Benzodiazepines was considered safer and did not have the same negative effects as Barbiturates. Barbiturates caused depression and slowed breathing. Benzodiazepines produced a calming effect but do not have depressive effects.

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1971 - Ban on Tobacco Advertising on Television

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1971 - Ban on Tobacco Advertising on Television

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The Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act forbids cigarette advertisements on television and radio. It is one of the most important regulatory moves to help curb tobacco’s appeal, especially among younger people.

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Present (Modern Usage and the Rise of Crack & Club Drugs)

Place: United States (especially urban areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami)

Event: Crack cocaine, a cheaper and more potent form of cocaine, becomes widespread. The crack epidemic affects inner-city communities, leading to high addiction rates and intense law enforcement efforts. The War on Drugs is launched in the U.S.

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Reagan increases drug anti-drug funding, and criminalizes pot possession. "Just Say No" initiatives further stigmatize marijuana, specifically youth. These laws deepen marijuana’s social and economic effect on minority communities. Rhetoric of the time bolsters paranoid attitudes toward the drug.

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1980-Reported Side effects of Benzodiazepines 

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1980-Reported Side effects of Benzodiazepines 

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The side effects reported were drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, and muscle weakness. It had minimal cognitive impairment compared to barbiturates.

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Many started to abuse and depend on the drug and concern started to arise.

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1984 - National Minimum Drinking Age Act 

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1984 - National Minimum Drinking Age Act 

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The law directs states to raise the legal drinking age to 21, tying the choice to highway funds. The law demonstrates increasing awareness of the risks of drinking under the influence, and calls for better public health and safety measures to prevent alcohol-related accidents.

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Place: Global (U.S. and Europe)

Event: The emergence of “club drugs” (such as MDMA, Ecstasy, and later, Ketamine) begins in rave and dance club scenes, particularly in the U.S. and Europe. These drugs are used for their stimulant and euphoric effects.

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The U.S. Surgeon General identifies nicotine as addictive as heroin or cocaine. This acknowledgement turns tobacco’s public image from a form of lifestyle choice to a drug of addiction that requires medical and policy intervention.

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1990s - Rise of 'Designated Driver' Campaigns 

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1990s - Rise of 'Designated Driver' Campaigns 

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The "Designated Driver" promotion creates accountability through recruiting a non-drinking driver in groups. This norm-altering effect redefines alcohol use through increased individual self-responsibility and reduced drunk driving – altering expectations for safe consumption.

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Place: Worldwide (U.S., Europe, Asia)

Event: The use of Ecstasy (MDMA), GHB, and other club drugs reaches its peak in the rave scene. These drugs are popular for their ability to enhance sociability, energy, and emotional connection.

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1990s-Benzodiazepines increased but the concern for many was the long-term use, this continued until 2010.

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1996 – California Legalizes Medical Marijuana

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1996 – California Legalizes Medical Marijuana

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Prop 215 lets marijuana be smoked by patients with chronic pain or cancer. It is the first state to do so, despite federal prohibition. This marks a crucial moment in marijuana policy. It shatters decades of prohibition and raises national debates about marijuana’s medicinal potency.

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1998 - Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA)

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1998 - Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA)

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Big tobacco agrees to pay billions to states and ban advertising. This settlement signals a turning point in drug policy, one that highlights corporate responsibility and the impact of litigation on public health policy.

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2000s-Present: Crack Cocaine and Cocaine's Continued Impact

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2000s-Present: Crack Cocaine and Cocaine's Continued Impact

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Place: Worldwide

Event: Despite crack cocaine's decline in the 1990s, cocaine (in both powder and crack forms) remains a significant illegal drug. Efforts to curb production in Latin America (Colombia, Peru) have mixed results, and cocaine use continues to cause public health crises globally.

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2000 - Alcohol and Drug Prevention Programs Expand in Schools 

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2000 - Alcohol and Drug Prevention Programs Expand in Schools 

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36/2500 Words

Schools run initiatives to combat teen drinking, and alcohol is promoted as a public health threat. These campaigns reflect ongoing awareness of alcohol’s effects on children, encouraging intervention and social support in order to prevent future drinking.

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OxyContin is an opium derivative made from Purdue Pharmacological company that was managed by the Sackler family (Haiven, 2018).  Their continuous push for their  safer and more reliable pain medication made it so it was one of the most prescribed pain pills in the USA. In fact just over 70 of every 100 patients were prescribed an opioid by their  doctors.This led to a multimillion dollar class action lawsuit that was due them misleading doctors and patients into taking their less addictive pills when they cause ramplet addiction. This means that they contributed and caused the opioid crisis that has impacted the lives of many individuals. They ruined the lives of so many people just to make money.

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2009 - Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

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2009 - Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

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FDA is given power to enforce tobacco products, such as regulating flavored cigarettes and advertising to children. This law is an example of harm-reduction legislation in tobacco control.

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E-cigarettes emerge as an alternative to traditional smoking, sparking debates about their role in harm reduction versus their appeal to youth. Vaping highlights the evolving landscape of tobacco consumption and public health challenges.

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2010 - Alcoholic Energy Drinks Banned in the U.S. 

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2010 - Alcoholic Energy Drinks Banned in the U.S. 

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The regulation of alcoholic energy drinks such as Four Loko addresses the risks of mixing alcohol with stimulants and signals a shift in public health. The shift shows the transition to a more regulatory approach that emphasizes preventing alcohol abuse and the chronic consequences of new drinking trends.

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2012 – First States Legalize Recreational Marijuana

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2012 – First States Legalize Recreational Marijuana

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Colorado and Washington both enact laws allowing adults to smoke pot recreationally. Both states have laws governing its sale and taxation. These legalizations mark the beginning of a new age of marijuana policy. Adoption is encouraged by economic arguments and societal attitudes.

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2018 - CDC Reports Rise in Binge Drinking and Alcohol-Related Deaths 

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2018 - CDC Reports Rise in Binge Drinking and Alcohol-Related Deaths 

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The CDC reports an increase in binge drinking and fatal drinking, and current health campaigns emphasize responsible drinking. These statistics signal a shift towards acknowledging alcohol’s long-term effects and to policies that deal with health impacts and prevent deaths from alcoholism.

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2020- Pandemic and Alcohol Consumption Spike 

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2020- Pandemic and Alcohol Consumption Spike 

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Drinking goes up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — illustrating the link between psychological distress and alcoholism. This surge in consumption spotlights alcohol as both a coping tool and social determinant of health, which affects public health discussions around alcohol.

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Menthol cigarettes will be outlawed by the FDA because they’re used more heavily by minorities. This is part of ongoing campaigns to eliminate social inequity and smoking-associated health inequalities.

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The drug was being used illegally and the FDA needed to reduce the potential for abuse, addiction, and other serious risks. People were combining with alcohol, prescription opioids, and illicit drugs. The FDA wanted to ensure that individuals taking benzodiazepine understand the risks and the associated withdrawals.

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2021 – Federal Efforts Toward Decriminalization

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2021 – Federal Efforts Toward Decriminalization

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Legislators want to decriminalize marijuana and expunge convictions. These initiatives are aimed at correcting the racial inequalities caused by decades of prohibition. Federal reforms reflect a growing understanding of marijuana’s overuse by minority populations and its economic and medical advantages.

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2022-Present - Campaigns Against Youth Vaping

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2022-Present - Campaigns Against Youth Vaping

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Youth are targeted by anti-vaping campaigns in an effort to stem increasing nicotine dependence. These interventions illustrate how education and social interventions have become a major element of contemporary tobacco policy.

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Today-It is still used now but the main concerned is people getting addicted to it and misusing. It was a drug that was only attainable through a physician but now is sold illegally.