Why the War on Cannabis Refuses to Die: A History

For much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, American physicians freely prescribed cannabis to treat a wide range of ailments. But by the mid-twentieth century, federal officials were laying the groundwork for a sweeping criminal crackdown. Cannabis would ultimately be classified as a Schedule I substance, placed alongside heroin and LSD, and transformed into a political weapon that shaped American policy for the next six decades. This seven-part series chronicles the milestones, backlash, and unintended consequences that have shaped the war on cannabis from the 1960s to the present day.

Part One: How Boomers and the Yippies Made Weed Political

Part Two: Nixon Admitted Weed Wasn’t Dangerous, But Killed It to Crush Political Dissent

Part Three: The Seventies: High Times with Jimmy Carter and Jerry Brown

As cannabis use became more common in the late 1970s, the backlash grew even stronger. A political and religious conservative resurgence was underway after years of liberal ascendancy. That wave would soon bring former California Governor Ronald Reagan to the White House.

On the debate stage at the University of South Carolina during the 1980 primary campaign, Republican frontrunner Reagan was asked about growing state-level moves to decriminalize cannabis.

Journalist Bill Raspberry asked the candidate:

“Governor Reagan, more than a dozen states have already enacted legislation making possession of small amounts of marijuana only a misdemeanor and two or three other states are now considering either legislation or referenda to allow the growing in the home of small number of marijuana plants. Do you support the notion that the non-commercial consumption and production of marijuana should be of no concern to the federal government?”

“I do not support that,” Reagan replied.

I had to deal with the drug problem when it first became epidemic proportions back in the riotous '60s when I was governor. And I have continued my interest, my study, perhaps because of the columns and the commentaries, but mainly because, as a parent and a family member, I was interested. I have been amazed to learn that many medical researchers, who at one time once said marijuana was nothing more than a mild intoxicant, no more than taking a martini, have totally reversed themselves, and many of them are now saying that this is probably the most dangerous drug in America today. And I think we are destroying a younger generation if we, who are adults do not stand up and make it plain how we feel about this, rather than letting them think that silence on our part means that there can't be very much wrong with it. We're going to destroy a generation, and so I'll do everything I can to bring that word to the young people of this country about marijuana.”

The Reform Movement Stalls and California Slams the Door on Cannabis

That same year, momentum for reform faltered in California. A proposed initiative to legalize the personal cultivation of cannabis failed to qualify for the November 1980 ballot. Secretary of State March Fong Eu announced that the petition lacked sufficient valid signatures. It was the eighth such attempt to put cannabis decriminalization before voters; the only one that had made it to the ballot—back in 1972—had been rejected at the ballot box by two-thirds of California voters.

By July 1980, even reporters covering cannabis activism began declaring the movement stalled. CNN White House correspondent Jane Carper, reporting on a cannabis “smoke out,” observed:

“The hippies, the yippies, the zippies (ph) and a lot of ordinary kids who want to have a good time came here today, ostensibly to demonstrate for the legalization of marijuana.”

But she concluded that:

The movement to decriminalize marijuana has virtually died. The last state to do so was Nebraska in 1978, and a few of the states that did legalize possession of a small amount of pot are thinking of rescinding their laws.”

From “Hang Loose” to Hot Pursuit: A New Era of Drug Enforcement

By the time Reagan took office in 1981, his administration was planning a new, aggressive war on drugs. The federal effort would link the Drug Enforcement Administration with the IRS, the FBI, and the Treasury Department, ushering in a new era of “hot pursuit” enforcement. Across the country, the spirit of the 1960s—of letting things “hang loose”—was replaced with a new hardline approach to crime, drugs, and perceived social disorder.

A self-styled “citizens’ war on drugs” spread rapidly through the states, with new laws targeting everything from drug trafficking to the sale of paraphernalia like water pipes and roach clips. At least 25 states enacted laws criminalizing the sale of such items, and six states passed tougher penalties and enforcement measures for drug offenses. Some states went further, cracking down on caffeine pill sales or deploying military helicopters and Navy vessels to combat smuggling.

Texas, for example, enacted laws so severe that dealing cannabis could result in a life sentence. One defense attorney described it as:

“Quite a change from a decade ago when people were talking about legalizing pot.”

Toughlove, Ann Landers, and the Parents’ Crusade Against Cannabis

Alongside these policies, grassroots programs like Toughlove emerged as influential tools for parents battling teenage drug use. With strong support from advice columnist Ann Landers, Toughlove grew into a 400-chapter movement across the U.S. and Canada, with more than 50,000 people on its mailing list. Its emblem—a fist inside a heart—symbolized the group’s core message: discipline over indulgence.

“You’re the boss,” its manual declared. “The sooner your youngster understands this, the better.”

The program urged parents to set firm boundaries, restrict privileges, and refuse to intervene when a child got into trouble, even to the point of sending a child to live elsewhere. Families who embraced the model reported renewed confidence and restored household order.

“Just Say No”: Nancy Reagan Turns a Catchphrase Into a Crusade

In October 1982, just before the midterm elections, President Reagan took to the airwaves with his wife to announce a sweeping federal anti-drug strategy.

“Drugs are bad and we're going after them,” he declared in his weekly five-minute radio broadcast, made live from Camp David and co-hosted for the first time by First Lady Nancy Reagan.

“The mood toward drugs is changing in this country, and the momentum is with us. We're making no excuses for drugs—hard, soft, or otherwise. Drugs are bad, and we're going after them. As I've said before, we've taken down the surrender flag and run up the battle flag. And we're going to win the war on drugs.” – Ronald Reagan, October 2, 1982

Nancy Reagan spoke with urgency:

“Few things in my life have frightened me as much as the drug epidemic among our children.”

She described how bright students, once thriving in academics and athletics, had become “shells of their former selves.” But she remained hopeful:

“People are finally facing up to drug abuse. They are banding together and making real progress.”

Reagan credited reports from Nancy and Vice President George H. W. Bush’s South Florida task force for his decision to unify the government’s anti-drug effort.

“The results of our task force have been dramatic,” Reagan said. “The vice president tells me drug-related arrests are up over 40 percent, the amount of marijuana seized is up 80 percent, and the amount of cocaine seized has more than doubled. The important thing is we're hurting the traffickers.”

On October 24, 1982, the Miami Herald ran the headline: REAGAN DECLARES WAR ON DRUGS. That year, federal cannabis seizures jumped by 50 percent.

The administration also rolled out a robust public messaging campaign, coordinated through the Advertising Council. The target audience was 12- to 14-year-olds, with the memorable message: “Just say no.” Parents of children aged 9 to 18 were urged to:

“Get involved with drugs before your children do.”

Nancy Reagan praised the initiative:

“Both of these themes are exactly right.”

“This Is Your Brain on Drugs”: The Egg That Fried a Generation

The now-famous phrase “Just Say No” was born in 1982 during Nancy Reagan’s visit to Longfellow Elementary School in Oakland, California. When a student asked her how to resist peer pressure to try drugs, she answered simply:

“Just say ‘no.’”

The phrase caught on. Over the next several years, she traveled more than 250,000 miles visiting rehab centers and youth programs, appeared on at least 23 talk shows by 1985, co-hosted Good Morning America in 1983, and starred in a PBS documentary on drug abuse.

In 1987, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America launched one of the most iconic anti-drug advertising campaigns in U.S. history. The “This Is Your Brain on Drugs” commercial, which featured an egg frying in a skillet, became a cultural touchstone.

In 1986, the Reagans appeared together in their residence for a nationally televised address:

“Drugs are menacing our society,” the President said, adding: “Shortages of marijuana are now being reported.”

Bush Doubles Down: “Smoke a Joint, Lose Your License”

Under President George H. W. Bush, who served from 1989 to 1993, the U.S. largely continued the policies of the Reagan administration. The War on Drugs intensified.

In 1990, the Solomon–Lautenberg amendment ushered in a new wave of punitive laws under the slogan:

“Smoke a joint, lose your license.”

States began passing laws mandating six-month driver’s license suspensions for any drug offense, regardless of whether it involved a vehicle.

That same year, Alaska voters reversed course and recriminalized cannabis, reinstating penalties for possession of any amount. After years of liberalization and reform, the pendulum had swung sharply back.

As federal and state laws grew more punitive, cannabis-related arrests remained consistently high. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, arrest rates for cannabis offenses continued to climb, further entrenching the War on Drugs as a defining feature of American law enforcement and daily life.