| Drug and Narcotics Law |
| Controlled Substance Act |
| Marijuana and Medical Marijuana |
| Powder and Crack Cocaine |
| Prescription Drugs |
| Heroin, Opium, and Morphine |
| Metamphetamines, Ecstasy, PCP |
Drugs and Narcotics Law
In the United States, federal restrictions over the supply of drugs started when in 1848, imported drugs were inspected. In recent times, however, drugs and narcotics law include not only federal and state laws, but also international laws to prevent and eliminate as much as possible the transport, manufacture, cultivation and use of illegal drugs.
The first national drug law was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which mandated that patent medicine labels should contain information on use of opium and other specified drugs. In 1914, the Harrison Narcotics Act was passed as an attempt to control the flow of narcotics and opiates. This Act intended to regulate the amount of supply that would be made available to drug-dependent persons. While this statute was deemed to be beneficial, it also led to the beginning of illegal drug traffic. Since medical doctors were no longer authorized to prescribe certain drugs to keep drug addicts comfortable, the latter resorted to illicit sources.
In 1925, the Harrison Act was challenged when a physician, who was convicted for prescribing a narcotic to a drug addict, filed an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court overturned the verdict of the lower court, and for the first time in history, narcotic abuse was considered an illness for which treatment was legal.
The Uniform Narcotics Law of 1937 gave rise to a coherent method for drug record keeping at federal and state levels. It did not, however, define penalties for narcotics' sale, possession and use, leaving the states to set their respective penalties. By 1956, another law, the Federal Narcotics Control Act, was passed. This time, it increased penalties for violations of narcotics and marijuana. Sentences were imposed from ten to forty years.
In 1966, a policy for treating narcotic abusers was created by the U.S. Congress. Those who were found guilty for violation of federal criminal law would either be incarcerated or be committed to a drug treatment center to undergo detoxification and rehabilitation.
The recent federal statute, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Control and Prevention Act of 1970, (also know as the Controlled Substance Act) prescribes handling and safeguarding regulations on certain drugs. Penalties for violations were brought into greater accord with the danger and intended uses of drugs. This law also subsumed all previous federal drugs and narcotics laws.
If you are charged for violation of the drugs and narcotics law, or you have any queries about this field of law, you must seek advice from a qualified attorney.