Controlled Substances Act (CSA)

Controlled Substances Act (CSA, 1970)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The CSA consolidated federal drug laws and established a comprehensive system for regulating the manufacture, distribution, and possession of controlled substances. It was part of President Nixon’s broader “War on Drugs.”

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Earlier laws like the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (1914) and the Marijuana Tax Act (1937) regulated certain drugs but lacked a uniform system. The CSA centralized authority under federal law.

Acts

Drug-Free Workplace Act

Drug-Free Workplace Act (1988)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (41 U.S.C. § 8101 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The Act was passed to require federal contractors and grantees to maintain drug-free workplaces as a condition of receiving federal funding, part of the broader “War on Drugs.”

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Prior federal laws regulated controlled substances but did not impose workplace drug-free requirements tied to federal contracts or grants. This Act created that obligation.