Answer:
Describe at least two society developments and changes in the early 20th century in the United States:
1. The Harrison Act.
2. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
and how they impacted drug use:
Trends in federal drug enforcement may reflect changes in the nation’s drug problems and changes in the federal response to these problems. These trends also may reflect the federal government’s enforcement priorities, but the drug use in steadily increasing.
Explanation:
1. The Harrison Act:
In response to growing levels of drug abuse, federal control of drugs began to take shape in the early 20th century, the federal government aimed to regulate and control drugs through taxation. The Harrison Narcotics Act of 1914 (Harrison Act; P.L. 63-223), required importers, manufacturers, and distributors of cocaine and opium to register with the U.S., among other regulations.
2. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
:
During the 1920s, narcotic enforcement was closely tied to Prohibition enforcement. In 1930, Prohibition enforcement was transferred to the Department of Justice while a standalone federal agency, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), was established within the Treasury to handle narcotic enforcement. During Prohibition, a new recreational drug—marijuana—had quickly become unpopular with law enforcement, especially in the southwestern United States. As Prohibition ended, marijuana caught the attention of Congress and the FBN. Until 1937, the growth and use of marijuana was legal under federal law. During the course of promoting federal legislation to control marijuana, Henry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the FBN, and others submitted testimony to Congress regarding the evils of marijuana use, claiming that it incited violent and insane behavior. Commissioner Anslinger had informed Congress that “the major criminal in the United States is the drug addict; that of all the offenses committed against the laws of this country, the narcotic addict is the most frequent offender."
Although all these, the number of drug cases filed by U.S. Attorneys increased in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While this may reflect a higher drug crime incidence rate, it also may reflect a federal enforcement focus on drug crimes.
