The War On Drugs
The war on drugs is a campaign,led by the U.S Federal Government of drug prohibtion, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim being the reduction of the illegal drug trade in the United States.
1890 "The Origin"
1937 "Marijuana Tax Act"
In 1937, the “Marihuana Tax Act” was passed. This federal law placed a tax on the sale of cannabis, hemp, or marijuana.
The Act was introduced by Rep. Robert L. Doughton of North Carolina and was drafted by Harry Anslinger. While the law didn’t criminalize the possession or use of marijuana, it included hefty penalties if taxes weren’t paid, including a fine of up to $2000 and five years in prison.
Did you know?
The first person to be arrested under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was precisely the person Anslinger and his cohorts sought to target with their cannabis crusade: a young, Mexican-American named Moses Baca, who had a quarter-ounce of cannabis tucked into his drawer in his third-floor rooming house in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. The judge sentenced Baca and made his disgust for cannabis well-knownsting fact and link to the source.
(1970) "Controlled Substances Act"
President Richard M. Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) into law in 1970. This statute calls for the regulation of certain drugs and substances. A federal act passed by the United States Congress that placed comprehensive drug control policy under federal control. This included the laws related to the manufacturing, possession, sale, import, and distribution of certain substances. The initial bill passed by Congress included a list of substances, but the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have regulated the ongoing restrictions in partnership.
June 1971: Nixon officially declares a "war on drugs," identifying drug abuse as "public enemy No. 1."
1980 "Say No To Drugs"
In the 1980s, President Ronald Raegan reinforced and expanded many of Nixon’s War on Drugs policies. In 1984, his wife Nancy Raegan launched the “Just Say No” campaign, which was intended to highlight the dangers of drug use.
President Reagan’s refocus on drugs and the passing of severe penalties for drug-related crimes in Congress and state legislatures led to a massive increase in incarcerations for nonviolent drug crimes.
In 1986, Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which established mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain drug offenses. This law was later heavily criticized as having racist ramifications because it allocated longer prison sentences for offenses involving the same amount of crack cocaine (used more often by black Americans) as powder cocaine (used more often by white Americans). Five grams of crack triggered an automatic five-year sentence, while it took 500 grams of powder cocaine to merit the same sentence.
Sources
npr.com
pbs.org
drugpolicy.org