War on Drugs: Legislation (E1L4)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key legislation and concepts related to the War on Drugs.

Pure Food and Drug Act (1906)

Prohibited interstate commerce in adulterated or misbranded food and drugs and required labels to state the quantity of certain ingredients like alcohol, morphine, opium, cocaine, heroin, cannabis, etc.

Opium Exclusion Act (1909)

The first drug group to be controlled, applying only to opium processed for smoking favored by Chinese immigrants, not medicinal opium.

Harrison Narcotic Act (1914)

The first major national anti-narcotic law, imposing a special tax and registration upon those who produced, imported, manufactured, dealt in, dispensed, or gave away opium products or coca leaves, marking the beginning of the modern criminal drug addict and black market.

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Initially, allowed for medical use (treating addiction) but later restricted further.

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First time drug possession was a crime; very radical for time period.

Volstead Act (1919)

Prohibited intoxicating beverages (defined as more than 0.5% alcohol by volume), regulated their manufacture/sale/transport (but not consumption), and superseded state prohibition laws, while allowing alcohol for scientific, industrial, and religious uses.

Marihuana Tax Act (1937)

Targeted Mexican immigrants and required a 'tax stamp' for the transfer of marijuana between seller and buyer, spearheaded by Harry Anslinger.

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Harry Anslinger essentially “invented” issue with Marijuana use.

Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (1970)

Consolidated previous drug (state and federal) laws, shifted drug regulation from a tax/commerce issue to a law enforcement issue, and created the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

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Severe punishment for dealers. Wanted addiction to be viewed in a scientific/clinical manner.

Schedule 1 Drugs

Drugs with very high abuse potential and no accepted medical use.

I.e., Heroin, Ecstasy, LSD, Marjuana**, Mescaline

Schedule 2 Drugs

Drugs with very high abuse potential and also an accepted medical use.

I.e., Cocaine, Fentanyl, Hydrocodone, Methamphetamine, Morphine, Oxycodone

Schedule 3 Drugs

Drugs with high abuse potential and also an accepted medical use.

I.e., Ketamine

Schedule 4 Drugs

Drugs with moderate abuse potential and accepted medical use.

Schedule 5 Drugs

Drugs with low but significant abuse potential and accepted medical use.

Anti Drug Abuse Act (1986)

Provided mandatory minimum sentencing specifically for the possession of cocaine (minimum of 5 years) and without the possibility of parole, dramatically increasing the number of people in prison for drug offenses.

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Discussed 5g vs. 500g (crack vs powdered cocaine) and racial disparities in arrests.

Fair Sentencing Act (2010)

Reduced the disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine federal penalties from a 100:1 to an 18:1 weight ratio and eliminated the five-year mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of crack cocaine.