st, or veterinary surgeon registered under this Act in the course of his professional practice only." (Brecher)This statement would virtually disallow all handling and use of opiate-containing drugs, both for recreational, and medicinal use. Although it would not expressly deny the ability to use and distribute opiates, it would inflict severe penalties for the most miniscule oversight or inaccuracy in filing the masses of paperwork required. Back to the Philippines, in 1909, the Shanghai Opium Commission recommended yet another re-examination of opiate laws. This led to the Hague Opium Conference of 1911, producing the Hague Opium Convention of 1912. All factors combined, the Harrison act was passed in 1914. As the century lapsed, and these new committees and regulations were being instated, our government’s concern continued to grow. Increases in use across all regions of our nation were noted. It is claimed that about one million people in the United States were using narcotics, and the largely successful and profitable underground operations managed to equal legal distribution as far as amount consumed through each route. Our Government undoubtedly saw their impositions and laws failing to reduce the problems caused by the drug “crisis” in America. Although past attempts at increasing penalties, and adding legislation were known to be failing, our government for some reason decided to further increase penalties for drug-related violations. 1920 brought prohibition through the 18th Amendment, and in 1922, Congress doubled the Harrison penalty from five to ten years, and revised its criminal procedures. In 1924, the importation of heroin was altogether prohibited. Because opiates were getting harder to legally obtain, and prices were escalating, marijuana use began to catch on for casual use as an attempted substitute for the unlawful opiates, and as a form of anarchistic rebellion. Marijuana use had bee...
