International Journal on Criminology Volume 7, Number 1, Winter 2019/2020 | Page 146

A Brief Genealogy of Cannabis Policy in the United States
a mythical past (because a time of this kind scarcely existed outside of Hollywood
and countless movies about cowboys and other do-gooding vigilantes, which was
precisely where Reagan had built his previous career as an actor) of the rule of law
and the rights of the innocent. 83
On October 27, 1986, Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which provided
that, if a person used cannabis (or other drugs), he or she may be sentenced
to a period of imprisonment of no fewer than 20 years but to no more than life
imprisonment, as well as a fine of between $8–20 million. It was possible for there
to be consideration of a probationary sentence of at least five years in addition
to such a prison sentence and, if it was necessary, a period of parole of at least 10
years in addition to this prison sentence. No one who was convicted could hope
for parole during the prison term imposed by this new act. 84
On November 18, 1988, Reagan amended the Anti-Drug Abuse Act to increase
the penalties for those who participated in the sale and use of illegal drugs. 85
The Reagan era saw an intense and constant media campaign that offered
food for thought; even Reagan’s wife Nancy was used during the Just Say No campaign,
86 which became one of the wars on drugs’ media staples. Its goal was to
showcase the first lady of the U.S.’ advice to say no when people, especially children,
were offered drugs or alcohol. This program was implemented alongside
enormous budgets allocated to the elimination of drugs both inside and outside
the United States.
Continuing the War Policy Until Today
The presidencies of George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack
Obama, and Donald Trump have not caused major institutional changes in
drugs policy, but under all of them a lot of money has been spent to operate
the system put in place throughout the twentieth century, a century that was from
start to finish a war on drugs, starting with the first international agreements made
in Shanghai in 1909.
Virtually, all of the calculations of the money that has been spent by U.S.
taxpayers in this war against drugs are calculated using the starting point of Richard
Nixon’s 1971 initiative. We have now reached unimaginable figures of around a
trillion dollars, 87 which represents 1,000,000,000,000 dollars invested to eradicate
drugs.
83 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED075187.pdf.
84 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/99/hr5484/text/enr.
85 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/100/hr5210/text/enr.
86 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/08/nancy-reagan-drugs-just-say-no-dare-pro
gram-opioid-epidemic.
87 http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-878754.
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