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1930

Fear of marijuana

During the great depression there was massive unemployment and increased public resentment and fear of Mexican immigrants  and governmental concern about  the potential problem of marijuna. There was panic throughout the Southern States as newspapers started to label Mexicans as "marijuana menaces”.

Creation of  the FBN

Creation of the Federal Bureau Narcotics was founded by the Department of the Treasury. It was headed by Harry J. Anslinger who came to the Bureau of Prohibition as he planned to reinforce the uniform narcotics, enforcement laws, adn fighting organized crime. This helps to strengthen the Harrison Tax Act. In 1931, 29 states had outlawed marijuana

1932

Uniform State Narcotic Act

The main objective of this act was to strengthen any existing laws that dealt with illicit drug trafficking. Additionally, it helped reduce the rapid growth of illicit narcotic drugs being produced and sold, which became more accurate than other state laws. Furthermore, this act prohibited the sale of illicit narcotics except for licenses issued by state governments.

1933

The Prohibition of Alcohol in the U.S

In the U.S., there was a nationwide prohibition of production, importation, transportation, and sale. In 1933, it was repealed, resulting in the 21 amendment that repealed the 18 amendment.

1936

“Reefer Madness”

"Reefer Madness" was an American film released in 1936. Storyline focuses on how some teens smoked marijuana and became addicted. Consequently, it caused crime and problems within the families. In the film, the message is to inform parents about the dangers of marijuana use for children.

1937

Marijuana Tax Act

Farmer Bob introduced the act to Congress in 1937. It was not intended to ban marijuana, but to make participating in the cannabis industry more difficult. It is mandatory for them to comply with certain requirements, such as registration, and pay taxes, which sellers, producers, and growers are required to do. In reality, Bob Farmer was concerned that people would become criminals and behave strangely. Consequently, other industries will also benefit from this act because competition will be lessened.

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During the 1950s, the average sentence for narcotic related crimes increased due to stricter drug possession and distribution laws. At this time, marijuana was thought of as a dangerous drug and potential gateway drug-- or avenue to harder drugs like heroin.

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The Boggs Act of 1952: Outlawed possession of heroin and marijuana-- created heavy legal consequences for drug-related convictions. A minimum sentence for a marijuana related conviction was 2 years up to 5 years and a possible fine of up to $2,000. Second offenses required 5-10 year sentences and 10-15 after that.

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1960’s: The decade of Rebellion (Emirsa)

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1960’s: The decade of Rebellion (Emirsa)

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In the beginning of the 60’s, drug use was used as a form of protest and rebellion. Drugs were known as fashionable among middle class Americans.

Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs was created in 1968

The BNDD combined the United States Department of Justice with The Bureau of Narcotics and The Bureau of Drug Abuse Control

In the late 1960’s Dr. Robert DuPont conducted a research that changed the way drugs were looked at. This lead to the discovery that 44% of the people being incarcerated tested positive for heroin.

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In the 1970's drug use was not at it's highest yet. During this decade drugs became more known and better understood than in the past. Marijuana was a drug that most people wanted legalized. There was a 21% increase of Americans that said Marijuana should be accepted during the 70's. The media glamorized recreational drug use and cocaine was deemed as non-addictive.

During this decade the Drug Enforcement Agency was created. This agency was created in order to control the growing drug problem in America. An act that was created in 1970 was the Controlled Substances Act(CSA). This act categorized drugs under federal law into five schedules.

Nixon declared the war on drugs in June 1971 which targeted Black and Brown people as the ones smuggling illegal drugs into America. This declaration officially made drug smuggling a criminal offense.

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The 1980s had a profound impact on drug use and its consequences, implementing wide-ranging effects on public policy, public health, and societal perceptions.

Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" Campaign (1982): First Lady Nancy Reagan launched the "Just Say No" campaign in 1982 as part of the War on Drugs. The campaign aimed to discourage drug use, particularly among young people, through education and public awareness initiatives.

Formation of D.A.R.E. (1983): Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) was founded in 1983, and it became a widely implemented school-based drug prevention program in the United States. The program aimed to educate students about the dangers of drug use and violence.

Crack Cocaine Epidemic (Mid-1980s): The emergence of crack cocaine became a major public health concern in the mid-1980s. The drug was more potent and affordable than powder cocaine, leading to a surge in addiction and associated crime in urban areas.

Anti-Drug Abuse Act (1986): The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 was enacted, establishing mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. The law disproportionately affected African American communities and has been criticized for contributing to the growth of the U.S. prison population.

FDA Approval of AZT for HIV/AIDS Treatment (1987): In 1987, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved azidothymidine (AZT) as the first drug for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. While a significant step in combating the epidemic, the drug had limitations, and subsequent developments in HIV/AIDS treatment continued throughout the decade.

Bush’s War on Drugs (1989): President George Bush declared a new War on Drugs during the 1980s in a nationally televised speech where he discussed increased law enforcement efforts, strict anti-drug policies, and international initiatives aimed at reducing drug production and trafficking.

Other events in 1980s

Introduction of MDMA (Ecstasy):

The recreational use of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, gained popularity in the 1980s, particularly in nightlife and rave scenes. The drug's psychoactive effects and association with dance culture contributed to its rise in popularity.

Opioid Crisis Beginnings:

While the opioid crisis intensified in subsequent decades, the 1980s marked the beginnings of increased opioid prescribing. The introduction of OxyContin in the mid-1990s played a crucial role in the later opioid epidemic.

First Needle Exchange Programs

Responding to the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic among injection drug users, the first needle exchange programs were initiated in the 1980s. These programs aimed to reduce the spread of HIV by providing clean needles to drug users.

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By the last decade of the millennium, it appeared that fewer people were using drugs. Polls showed little change in the percentage of adults who said they had used marijuana - 34% of Americans said they had tried it in a 1999 poll.

The Uniform Controlled Substance Act was first introduced in the 1970s, which was the basic law pertaining to the control of narcotic drugs in 46 states, but was again revised in the 1990s. The Uniform Substance Act of 1990 places all substances which were in some manner regulated under existing federal law into one of five schedules. Two reasons why they reintroduced the 1990 Uniform Controlled Substances Act, was due to the substantial changes in federal law that have occurred since 1970 and also to increase the need for more effective laws to deal with the influence of dangerous drugs in American life.

The Domestic Chemical Diversion and Control Act of 1993 was a response to the methamphetamine trafficking. It also closed the loophole for single-entity ephedrine drug products and instituted DEA registration requirements of all importers, exporters, and distributors of the most important chemicals used in the manufacture of controlled substances.

In 1996, Marijuana was legalized in California for medical use. California voters passed Proposition 215 allowing for the sale and medical use of marijuana for patients with AIDS, cancer, and other serious and painful diseases. This law stands in tension with federal laws prohibiting possession of marijuana.

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In the 2000’s it was the rise of the internet, so during this time drug sales in the 90s-2000s era rose rapidly. With new ways to advertise drugs discreetly, new drugs we’re coming into scene. There was also a few epidemics that struck the U.S during this time.

One of the new drugs that was prominent during this time period was Anabolic steroids. These became popular amongst athletes;they weren’t monitored much due to lack of information and studies on them. A designer drug from THG was created to avoid new anabolic steroids from being detected.

The few huge epidemics during this time were the crystal meth epidemic and the epidemic of pharmaceutical narcotics. California with about 45,457 cases, had more admissions of crystal meth alone that all the states combined during the 2000s. (American Addiction Center). The meth hit the hardest gradually over time in the Midwest . Meth became easy to manufacture at home and it required no expertise and it was cheap. In 2004 , there were reported 1600 meth labs.

The narcotic epidemic was mostly those who were strung out in painkiller like OxyContin. It was known as the “Hillbilly Heroin” during this time period. This drug flooded social media and users found that they could administer the drugs through different routes . When OxyContin wasn’t in reach , people turned to Heroin.

Heroin was also a very popular drug during the 2000s . It was mostly popular with the East Coast in inner cities , but due to the crackdown of the pill epidemic, it spread to more suburban areas. Many turned to Heroin because it was more accessible and cheaper.

During 2009, according to the Addiction Center, there were about 510 people from the ages of 15-24 who overdosed on Heroin. Alcohol from the period of 2000-2010 rose from 60.7% to 65.9%.

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2010 started the era of the double digit years,with technology advancement bringing in fresh innovative ways to sell, obtain and even use drugs. However something that stood out at that time was the increased use of illicit drugs. In a 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 22.6 million Americans which was 8.9 percent of the population aged 12 or older had used an illicit drug a month prior to the survey.

Marijauna was the most common drug used, the percentage of children ages 12-17 increased. There were an estimated 1.5 million crack cocaine users, which showed a decrease in crack cocaine user percentages.

An act that was introduced in 2010 was the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (FSA). It came into play August 3, 2010 and is lessening the statutory penalties for offense involving crack cocaine. This act was used to produce a quantity ratio. This act also reduced the mandatory minimum jail sentence for simple possession of crack cocaine and increased the statutory fines.

By 2013, illicit drug users increased by 2 million. With marijuana still being the leading illicit drug and used by 80.6 percent of illicit drug users. Daily marijuana use increased 5.7 million people in 2007 to 8.1 million people in 2013.

In 2014, the first recreational dispensary opened up in Colorado. They were licensed to sell marijuana to people 21 years of age and up.

As the years continue to pass, the use of illicit drugs increased and without a doubt marijuana continued to lead. However, the use of psychoactive drugs, broken into four categories (stimulants, hallucinogens, hypnotics, and opioid analgesics), became more and more popular.

The Synthetic Drug Awareness Act came into play in 2018 which required the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service to submit a report on the health effects of the new psychoactive substances including synthetic drug use to congress.

In 2020, America was hit by a pandemic. Covid-19 took the world by storm, and it is said because of this there was a huge increase in the use of illicit and illegal drugs. Researchers found the use of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine increased from previous years. Alcohol and drug users reported they were using these substances more than they did before the pandemic hit. The number of people using illicit drugs increased to 59.3 million, with 49.6 million using marijuana. This growing drug use epidemic continues, and the use of marijuana continues to increase currently. With users continuing to use, after the pandemic has ended.

Other than the use of marijuana being heavier than ever, in 2023 fentanyl has become an epidemic across the nation. Sellers have been selling fake pills leading to thousands of deaths across the globe. With nearly all chemicals needed to make fentanyl coming from China, fentanyl is heavily trafficked from China and Mexico into the U.S. This drug, and other synthetic drugs are the leading cause for overdose deaths.