Drug Laws, History of

The Ancient World through the 19th Century

Attempts to regulate psychoactive substances date back to antiquity. In the 5th century bc, the Greek philosopher Plato recommended prohibiting alcohol use for men younger than 18 years and regulating use for men younger than 30. Likewise, Roman custom restricted alcohol consumption to men older than 30. With the Christianization of the Roman Empire and Europe in the 4th through 9th centuries, a variety of nonalcoholic psychoactive substances fell into official disfavor. This attitudinal shift is thought to have reflected religious rivalry, as these drugs were associated with pre-Christian "pagan" religious traditions. Indeed, following the adoption of Christianity in Rome, a succession of Roman councils persecuted individuals accused of distributing drugs. Antagonism toward users of nonalcoholic intoxicants continued as the Church consolidated its power in the Middle Ages, and by the 10th century, drug use was considered heretical. Drug prohibitions continued throughout the Inquisition, which outlawed cannabis use in the 12th and 13th centuries. Travel to the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries brought Europeans into contact with new peoples and new psychoactive substances. However, these early immigrants to the New World superimposed European beliefs regarding drugs and witchcraft upon indigenous behaviors. This imperialistic attitude is reflected in the activities of the Inquisition of the Americas, which prohibited indigenous peoples from the ceremonial use of psychoactive drugs. Indeed, in many parts of Europe and the colonies, the association between psychoactive substances and witchcraft persisted beyond the Renaissance, and drug users continued to endure persecution as witches until the late 17th century.

Of the drugs encountered by European explorers in the Americas, coca and tobacco had the greatest impact. Early attempts to regulate coca were religiously based; the Church condemned ceremonial coca use among Native Americans as impeding conversion to Christianity. However, this condemnation was not without exception; the chewing of coca leaves by indigenous slaves was encouraged by Spanish Conquistadors to aid stamina for toil in the mines. Like coca, tobacco was first met with suspicion and repression. In the early 17th century, many European status prohibited tobacco use, as did Turkey, Japan, and China, and by mid-century, several papal edits had been issued against tobacco. These early anti-tobacco prohibitions were often accompanied by harsh punishments; Russia, Germany, Turkey, and China all executed tobacco users. However, despite these widespread and severe prohibitions, the use of tobacco remained popular and was permitted across many nations in Europe, the Near East, and Asia by the late 17th century.

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