1914

Harrison Act

First federal legislation to regulate and control the production, importation, sale, purchase and free distribution of opium or drugs derived from opium.

1922

Narcotic Drug Import and Export Act

Intended to eliminate the use of narcotics except for medical and other legitimate purposes.

1924

Heroin Act

Made it illegal to manufacture heroin.

1937

Marijuana Tax Act

Provided controls over marijuana similar to those that the Harrison Act provides over narcotics.

1942

Opium Poppy Control Act

Prohibited growing opium poppies in the U.S. except under license.

1956

Narcotics Control Act

Intended to impose very severe penalties for those convicted of narcotics or marijuana charges.

1965

Drug Abuse Control Amendments

Adopted strict controls over amphetamines, barbiturates, LSD, and similar substances, with provisions to add new substances as the need arises.

1966

Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act

Enhanced federal efforts to treat and rehabilitate narcotic addicts through three programs provided for voluntary and pretrial civil commitment and sentencing to treatment of convicted addicts.

1970

Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act

Directed the Secretary of Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services) to make scientific and medical determinations relative to scheduling of controlled substances.

1972

Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act

Created the Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention (SAODAP) within the Executive Office of the President; authorized the establishment of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) within the national Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to become operational in 1974 and responsible for developing a national community-based treatment system; and permitted the maintenance treatment of narcotic addicts.

1973

Methadone Control Act

Placed controls on methadone licensing.

1973

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Remodeled the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to become the DEA.

1974

Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act Amendments

Statutorily established Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA), charged with supervising and coordinating the functions of NIDA, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and NIMH.  Programs and responsibilities of SAODAP were moved to NIDA.

1974

Narcotic Addict Treatment Act

Required separate DEA registrations for physicians who want to use approved narcotics in drug abuse treatment and separate approvals of registrants by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and by state agencies.

1986

Analogue (Designer Drug) Act

Made illegal the use of substances similar in effects and structure to substances already scheduled.

1986

Executive Order 12564

Mandated a drug-free federal workplace program.  NIDA became the lead agency, creating its Office of Workplace Initiatives.

1988

Anti-Drug Abuse Act

Established the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the Executive Office of the President to oversee all federal policies regarding research about control of drug abuse.

1992

ADAMHA Reorganization Act

Transferred the three institutes that constitute ADAMHA (NIDA, NIAAA, and NIMH) to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and incorporated ADAMHA’s service programs into the new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

2000

Children’s Health Act

Allowed qualified physicians to prescribe medications classified as Schedule IV and V narcotics (including buprenorphine) for treatment of addiction.  Also included the Methamphetamine Anti-Proliferation Act, the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act, and the SAMHSA reauthorization bill.

2002

Drug Addiction Treatment Act

Allowed qualified physicians to dispense or prescribe specially approved Schedule III, IV, and V narcotics for the treatment of opioid addiction in treatment settings other than the traditional Opioid Treatment Program (i.e., methadone clinic).