Legal History Seminar: The War on Drugs

3 credits · Law School

This seminar will explore the history of drug prohibition and enforcement, focusing largely on the War on Drugs pursued by the U.S. federal government since the 1970s but also incorporating broader chronological, global, and comparative perspectives. Readings will consist primarily of recent academic scholarship examining the historical development of drug policy in the United States, Mexico, and globally. A central theme of the course will be the history of criminal law and punishment, but readings and class discussions will also examine other dimensions of the topic such as the global history of narcotic substances as commodities, administrative and business regulation, import/export controls, and international law. In lieu of a research paper, students will write short response papers and give a final presentation on the historical context relevant to a present-day drug law or policy question. Enrollment limited. [3]