1946 Revision of the Harrison Act

The 1946 Revision of the Harrison Act (also known as the Narcotics Act of 1946, or the Synthetic Substitutes for Morphine Act of 1946) amended the Harrison Act of 1914, one of the most pivotal pieces of drug legislation in the United States. Federal Narcotics Commissioner Harry J. Anslinger proposed this 1946 revision. He was also instrumental in several other acts, such as the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, the Opium Poppy Control Act of 1942, the Boggs Act of 1951, and the Narcotic Control Act of 1956.

Research on addiction and opiates (in both addictive and nonaddictive forms) was in full force by the 1930s, assisted by the Porter Narcotic Farm Act. Synthetic forms of opium and morphine became widespread after World War II, in part due to the use of morphine when treating wounded soldiers. The widely noted increase in opiate-based drug use [Page 591]after the war fueled public concern, and Commissioner Anslinger argued to broaden the scope of the Harrison Act.

The 1946 Revision aimed for the inclusion of synthetic drugs in the Harrison Act, requiring federal regulation of synthetic opiates. “The opiates” were an expansive class of drugs defined by the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury after public hearings to determine if they had been found to cause or maintain addiction similar to morphine or cocaine. The category consisted of synthetic counterparts of opium and heroin such as methadone. Drug regulation decisions were also based upon information provided by the Committee on Drug Addiction and Narcotics (CDAN).