Packages were required to have a label stating how much of these drugs were included in the preparation. For example, any generally sold “cures” for morphine dependency had to indicate that they contained another habit-forming drug. Basically, any drug could be sold and bought without federal restrictions as long as the ingredients were clearly listed on the label. By requiring a label, the public was exposed to the dangerous and addictive power of non-prescription medicine marketed in the country. This act specifically referred to alcohol, morphine, opium, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and several other agents.
Following The Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 was The Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914. “An Act to provide for the registration of, …show more content…
The act prohibited the importation and exportation of any narcotic not found essential for medical use, primarily cocaine and opium, and implemented fines up to $5,000 and prison sentences for up to 10 years for any individual found guilty of knowing or assisting in importing any narcotic drug into the United States. The law also applied to those who sold, purchased, received, or in any manner assisted in the transportation, concealment, or sale of any such narcotic after being brought into the United States. Additionally, the mere possession of opioids or cocaine was deemed sufficient evidence for a conviction unless the defendant could explain the possession to the satisfaction of the jury. The number of individuals sentenced for drug violations skyrocketed and by 1928 those individuals made up one third of the total population in federal prisons. The federal government realized they were facing a new problem; the population of addicts in prison would continue to grow as addiction grew and became associated with crime. In an effort to solve the problem, Congress imposed the Porter Act in 1929. The Act established two “narcotic farms” that provide treatment to people dependent on habit-forming drugs that have been convicted of violating a federal law. The first farm opened in Lexington, Kentucky in 1935 and generally held about a thousand patients, the second opened in Fort Worth, Texas in
Following The Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 was The Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914. “An Act to provide for the registration of, …show more content…
The act prohibited the importation and exportation of any narcotic not found essential for medical use, primarily cocaine and opium, and implemented fines up to $5,000 and prison sentences for up to 10 years for any individual found guilty of knowing or assisting in importing any narcotic drug into the United States. The law also applied to those who sold, purchased, received, or in any manner assisted in the transportation, concealment, or sale of any such narcotic after being brought into the United States. Additionally, the mere possession of opioids or cocaine was deemed sufficient evidence for a conviction unless the defendant could explain the possession to the satisfaction of the jury. The number of individuals sentenced for drug violations skyrocketed and by 1928 those individuals made up one third of the total population in federal prisons. The federal government realized they were facing a new problem; the population of addicts in prison would continue to grow as addiction grew and became associated with crime. In an effort to solve the problem, Congress imposed the Porter Act in 1929. The Act established two “narcotic farms” that provide treatment to people dependent on habit-forming drugs that have been convicted of violating a federal law. The first farm opened in Lexington, Kentucky in 1935 and generally held about a thousand patients, the second opened in Fort Worth, Texas in