PPLE 315-01: Rhetoric of "War on Drugs": Starting Point

Links to some interesting resources:

Drugs in America : A Documentary History edited by David F. Musto, M.D.

• Book available from the Hatfield Library, 2nd Floor Stacks #HV 4999.2 .D78 2002
• "With accessible, jargon-free introductions, this anthology puts drug and alcohol use at the center of American culture.  At this critical point in the "war on drugs," we must appreciate our drug and alcohol history or become captive to the powerful emotions that lead either to Draconian repression and exaggeration or apathy and silence"

Forces of Habit : Drugs and the Making of the Modern World authored by David T. Courtwright

• Book available from the Hatfield Library, 2nd Floor Stacks #HV 4997 .C68 2001
• "What drives the drug trade, and how has it come to be what it is today?  A global history of the acquisition of progressively more potent means of altering ordinary waking consciousness, this book is the first to provide the big picture of the discovery, interchange, and exploitation of the planet’s psychoactive resources, from tea and kola to opiates and amphetamines."

Drug Enforcement Administration Museum U.S. federal government website & physical museum maintained by the DEA 

• The DEA was organized in 1973 by President Nixon as a law enforcement agency under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice, but its origins date back to 1915 when the U.S. Bureau of Internal Revenue was tasked with conducting enforcement of federal drug laws.
• The DEA Museum's website provides online access to visual archives (both still & video) and educational resources for families and teachers aimed at young children to learn about the DEA's mission, the use & misuse of drugs and the enforcement of drug laws in the USA. 

WIKIPEDIA entry for Harry J. Anslinger (1892 -- 1975)

• Anslinger was the first person to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics (a predecessor of the DEA).  He was a supporter of Prohibition both personally and professionally before he turned his attention to harsh penalties for drug users.  For decades, he zealously targeted marijuana with various propaganda efforts claiming it was a gateway to criminality & societal demise.  He has been considered to be the father of America's "war on drugs" although he was not a big proponent of that particular phrase.

"How to Prevent Cannabis-Induced Psychological Distress . . . in Politicians" (Commentary)

• Commentary authored by Franjo Grotenhermen.
• The Lancet.  May 15, 2004.  Volume 363, Issue 9421, Pages 1568-1569.
• Commenting about an article titled "Psychological and social sequelae of cannabis and other illicit drug use by young people" appearing in the same issue of The Lancet, pages 1579-1588.

"Highs and Lows of Cannabis" (Commentary)

• Commentary authored by David Sharp.
• The Lancet.  January 31, 2004.  Volume 363, Issue 9406, Page 344.
• It is not clear if Sharp was commenting on a specific article that was published by The Lancet