Throughout history there have been many ups and many downs. Many different things that have changed

The use of what are now considered illegal drugs date back as far as 300 BC in many different places of the world. Historically, it has not only been criminals that used illegal drugs. Drugs were used for many things including medicinal purposes, spiritual enlightenment, rituals, as well as for recreation. They were also used by many different cultures, age groups, and social classes. There was a time when the only thing around to alleviate physical pain either from illness, injury, or even during the process of dying were some of these drugs. There were no illegal drugs in the United States until the mid-nineteenth century. This is an essay on 12 of these illegal drugs individually as reported on in the History Channels documentary “Hooked, Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way”.

Drugs first surfaced in the United States in the 1800s. After the Civil War opium become very popular and was used medicinally. Following opium was cocaine which was also used as a health remedy but near the end of the 19th century opium and cocaine abuse peaked and local governments began to prohibit opium dens and importation. In 1914 the first federal drug policy, the Harrison Narcotics act, is passed and drugs are no longer seen as harmless remedies. The act aggressively regulated the manufacturing of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and morphine. During the 50’s more federal drug policies were passed and drugs began to become more criminalized. The 60’s saw a rise in counter-culture and substances such as marijuana and LSD saw widespread use. The demand for drugs skyrocketed in the 1960s. In 1971 President Nixon declared drug abuse America 's number one enemy and proclaimed that we must wave a all out offensive. After President Nixon declared the War on Drugs in 1971, the United States has spent more than a trillion dollars on this failing policy that not only has had no effect on the amount of drugs being used in the United States and has increased the number of people incarcerated on drug charges from just 50,000 to over half a million, but also has helped fuel drug cartels and foment violence and death through overdoses from uncontrolled drug potency and turf wars between street gangs.

     The modern world’s first glimpse into the world of psychedelics was through d-lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD. LSD was first synthesized in 1938 by two Swiss chemists from the alkaloid lysergic acid found in ergot, a parasitic fungus that grows on rye and other grains. Five years later, on April 19, 1943 Albert Hoffman, one of LSD’s co-discoverers

Until the early 20th century, Americans were legally able to obtain drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, and heroin. In fact, these types of drugs were found in medicines and drinks such as Coca-Cola. By the early 1900s, between 250,000-500,000 Americans were addicted to drugs. This rise of addiction in the United States created a growing public concern that addiction would become a more widespread issue, and they felt this problem needed a government solution. For example, in 1875, the first restrictive legislation concerning drugs began in San Francisco when a law was passed to limit the use of opium dens in public indoor establishments. Almost 100 years later, the Controlled Substance Act was passed in 1970. Shortly after, Richard Nixon declared

The Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914 was the first of many laws due to the laissez-faire attitude toward drug use in the United States. Brecher 1972 states (as cited in Powell & Redford, 2016) society’s view on drugs was not problematic until the end of the nineteenth century. After the Civil War, a widespread epidemic of drugs swept across the nation, which fuels the drug wars of today (Powell & Brecher, 2016).

As a nation we face a serious enemy that is not on foreign soil but here at home. The drug problem in this country has truly affected many lives and families. This enemy has no limits and affects our domestic tranquility. All drugs should not be legalized because they have the ability to impair judgment and do much bodily harm. Drugs have been a dark shadow lingering over our country for many years. In recent years, the heroine epidemic has spread throughout the nation; it has taken many lives and hurt many families along the way.

The United States Drug Policy evolved after the 1900s when laws dictating drug abuse became prevalent. The targeted audience for the War on Drugs was aimed at helping the upper-class citizens and not the lower-class citizens which ultimately caused the government to become hypocrites. The United States War on Drug Policy was supposed to help America as a whole and not select classes. The supply of drugs entering into the United States did not seem to be affected after numerous different strategies were instilled by different presidents and government officials. Without a successful strategy to end the spread of drug usage we as a country have lost the War on Drugs. An unintended consequence from the United States drug policies to thwart drug

In the 1960’s, as drugs became signs of youthful rebellion, social upheaval and political dissent, the government halted scientific research in order to evaluate medical safety. Therefore, President Nixon declared a “war on drugs” in 1971. He increased the size of the federal drug control agencies and pushed through measures such as mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants After his declaration other Presidents of America continued this plan thinking it was the right way.

Cocaine was cheaper and easier to use, people would find new ways to use it everyday, they would lace everything with it; cookies, brownies, and cigarettes. Most people who used the drug would crush up it up into a fine powder, sort it in small lines, rolled up a five dollar bill, and snort the powder through the bill into their noses to make the high start faster and get the drug straight into their blood system. The outbreak really affected the jail system. People started smuggling the drug in everything; secret underground tunnel systems, beds, pillows, shoes, food trays, and even through the prison guard. Many prisoners’ lives were taken in prison for the drugs they were smuggling in and who they were smuggling in the drugs for. Major smugglers were Al Capone, Pablo Escobar, and Joaquín Guzmán. Multimillion dollars worth of drugs went through them and into the country’s streets. People got so addicted to cocaine, it would cause fights in the streets, schools, prisons, and in public. People started killing people for cocaine, join mobs just to get the drug, and start leaving their families and responsibilities behind for the drugs, breaking the order of society. When the drugs broke out in the communities, it started the wave of gangs and unnecessary violence. Drugs not only affected the user but everyone around them. Society took a hard hit when drugs came into the

Drugs during the 1860's to 1960's weren't exposed or widely used in our society, it was also not seen as "getting out-of-hand". The War on Drugs was declared in 1971 by President Nixon, this allowed political bias to increase the size and presence of federal drug control agencies, and pushed through measures such as mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants. With this intention, many of members of society that were discriminated against (e.g. African American and Anti-War community) began to rebel even more, which includes an indulgence of abusing

The interesting thing about the drugs were that they were first used in many over the counter products- as for cocaine, it was found in Coco-Cola drinks. As concern about cocaine grew, Coco-Cola stopped using cocaine as part of their formula in 1903 . Some of the concern of course was fueled by prejudice against African Americans; it was felt that the Africans who consumed the Coco-Cola drink would become violent, and acquire super strength, as well as become insusceptible to bullets . There was obviously no evidence to support the propaganda, but it helped lead to the exclusion of cocaine use in Coco-Cola products, and the Harrison

Drugs have been around for thousands of years. "A drug is any chemical that produces a therapeutic or non-therapeutic effect in the body (Drugs and Teen Substance Abuse 2000.)" Most drugs were first used for medicinal purposes, such as marijuana. Active substances were not extracted into drugs until the 19th century. Newly discovered substances like morphine, laudanum, and cocaine were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments. Wounded veterans returned home with their kits of morphine and hypodermic needles (History of Drug Abuse, n.d.) The use of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young teens. The conflict theory of social problems states that, "society is marked by conflict due

Starting in 1914 the U.S introduced the first probation acts that prohibited the consumption of Opiates and Cocaine with the Harrison Narcotics act of 1914 Later this act was amended to include marijuana. This Act was the first use of federal criminal law in the United Sates to attempt to deal with the nonmedical use of drugs (wisegeek). The war of drugs started primarily in the 1971 when Nixon declared the war on drugs. He dramatically increased the size and presence of federal drug control agencies (Drug Policy). With the first major organized drug imports from Columbia from the Black Tuna Gang based in Miami, Florida Columbia was quickly growing into a drug superpower able to feed America’s growing addictions.

The most important factor for the spread of crack and heroin is that when opiates and cocaine are illegal, low potency versions of these drugs become extensively expensive. Thus, consumers are induced to switch to more intensive and more harmful drug forms and delivery systems. Absent the incentives created by current policy, consumers will revert to the modes of consumption that are less damaging.

The drug problem in America is indeed a problem by the fact that many people have a preset opinion of drugs without actually coming to their own opinion of these substances. Drugs have been part of human culture for thousands of years, and governments want to put regulations on these substances because they think they know what is best for the people. The American Declaration of Independence insists that humans have certain unalienable rights; this should include deciding what and what not to put in your body. People around the world use drugs for different reasons, whether it is for religious practices, therapy, medicine, or personal experiences.