War on Drugs: A Historical Overview of Drug Control in American Society

Drug Use in Nineteenth-Century America

Medical Drug Use

• Freely Available Substances: Psychoactive substances, including opium, morphine, marijuana, and cocaine, were widely available from various sources without prescriptions. These substances were readily accessible through pharmacies, general stores, mail-order catalogs, and even street vendors. Public consumption was immense, with little social stigma attached to their use, especially for pain relief or recreational purposes.

• Opium's Role: The medical community and patients regarded opium as a panacea, a versatile remedy for a wide array of ailments. It was extensively prescribed for conditions ranging from pain and sleeplessness to menstruation issues, coughs, and diarrhea. Opium was available in various forms, including liquid laudanum (opium dissolved in alcohol), which was a common household staple, and also as raw opium for smoking or ingestion. Its widespread use made it one of the most significant psychoactive substances of the era.

• Morphine and Cocaine: Morphine, a purified alkaloid of opium, emerged in the mid-19th century and was initially hailed as a non-addictive alternative to opium, primarily used for severe pain relief, especially among Civil War soldiers (leading to what was sometimes called "soldiers' disease" or "army disease" due to addiction). Cocaine, isolated from the coca leaf, gained prominence later in the century, marketed as a tonic and a remedy for various conditions, including fatigue, depression, and even addiction to other substances like opium and alcohol.

• Marijuana: While less prominent than opium or morphine, cannabis was also medically available, often in tinctures, for conditions such as migraines, insomnia, and tetanus.

• Lack of Regulation: The prevailing medical understanding and absence of significant federal drug regulations meant that these powerful substances were treated much like any other over-the-counter medicine. This environment contributed to high rates of dependence, though the concept of drug addiction as a social and public health problem was only beginning to be understood towards the close of the century.