Narcotics Manufacturing Act

[Page 552]The Narcotics Manufacturing Act of 1960 created a closed system of narcotics manufacture and distribution. The act orders narcotics, defined at the time as natural and synthetic opiates and coca products, into several schedules. New opiates, both natural and synthetic, were sorted by abuse potential. Drugs that Congress deemed to have no medical use—including both marijuana and heroin—were not approved by the act and thus their manufacture in the United States was criminalized. For approved drugs, the act established quotas for production and rules for licensing manufacturers and distributors. Manufacturers needed to apply for separate licenses for each type of narcotic they produced. They also needed to purchase containers with prepaid Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax stamps from the Treasury. Containers with these stamps ...