Pure Food and Drug Act did not criminalize cannabis and heroin, it merely said products containing them needed to be labeled as such. They were still available without a prescription.

My understanding is that many states passed laws in the late 1800’s making drugs like heroin illegal without a prescription.

In addition, the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914 put many restrictions around them.

The Nixon Controlled Substances Act just put a federal guide posts around what was already a mish-mash of laws.

I can’t imagine how any drugs like heroin or cocaine could have been sold OTC (although they were). It just seems like something that addictive that makes you feel amazing would cause problems damn well near instantly.

That’s what I was thinking but he did say “modern drug war”. But I was really thinking of earlier propaganda adverts and such although I didn’t know it was as early as 1906.

but nixon started the so-called "war on drugs" that has incarcerated generations of people of color in the US.

The Nixon White House used its illegality to discredit political opponents and drum up support in their base. When and how it became illegal is irrelevant (even though, ironically enough, the original motivation was still politically and racially motivated against Mexicans).

why is this upvoted? it's completely wrong.