U.S. v. FUN | WAR ON DRUGS (1971-Rapture)
Calling drug abuse “public enemy number one,” President Richard Nixon created several offices to address the problem from the treatment and enforcement perspectives. But rehab soon took a back seat and U.S. drug policy got increasingly draconian with the actions of Colombian and Mexican cartels.
Punishment extended to users and dealers alike, with prison populations increasing every year since Nixon’s speech, despite a crime rate lower now than it was then. A shift announced by President Barack Obama’s administration in 2012 emphasized research, deemphasized arrests, and pocket-sized the amount of pot you can probably get away with at the White House (Barry, whazzap!).
