CRM 3600 - Drugs and Society

Credits: 4

This course examines the use and control of mind-altering and medicinal substances in the U.S. and abroad. Human beings have used drugs for medicinal, recreational, and cultural purposes since pre-historic times. Almost as long, societies have grappled with how to negotiate the role of drug use in social, political, and economic life. We will examine historical and contemporary drug scares; the juxtaposition of prescription drugs and illegal drugs; the response of the medical and criminal justice systems to drug “problems”; and the relationship between drug use, marginalized populations, crime, and punishment. We will pay particular attention to current issues and debates regarding drugs: the opiate crisis, the legalization debate, harm reduction, cartels, and the fallout from the War on Drugs.