The war on drugs technically began in the 1970s, with the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, President Richard Nixon's speech to Congress, and the enactment of anti-drug laws and policies that followed. But drug prohibition has been federal policy for 100 years. This timeline covers the policy all the way back to the late 19th century.
This timeline was updated with recommendations from Lauren Galik at the Reason Foundation, Jonathan Blanks, and Mary Price from Families Against Mandatory Minimums.
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