On Drugs

The illicitness of certain chemical compounds is determined not by anything inherent to those substances, but rather by the political and economic circumstances of the time. This can be seen not only in the recent evolution in the legal status of cannabis, but also throughout American history with a range of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. This exhibit pulls together writing about how those in power have attempted to regulate the flow of drugs, and about the impacts of those decisions on people’s lives.