With hysteria at a fever pitch, Congress passed the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act on December 17, 1914. It was the first-ever federal anti-drug law. It did not prohibit the possession of drugs, however. Rather, the act imposed a special tax on the production, importation, and distribution of opiates and coca products in the United States. The result was that it became more expensive for retailers to keep cocaine-laced products on the shelves, thereby making it harder for consumers to access them.
