How have the drug laws USA come into being and how have drugs become illegal? Some of the story is less about medical evidence and welfare for the people and more about prejudice against other races, especially the Mexicans and Chinese, and the lust for power and riches. Below is a program from the History channel that covers some the history of how opiates were made illegal in the USA and how the drug laws that are in force today came into being. The program presents a reasonably balanced view but some of the language is still a bit sensationalist. It also completely fails to recognise the link between the use of narcotics and poverty. Nevertheless, if you are curious about the drug laws in the USA it is an interesting video and certainly worth watching.