Title: Thirty Years Of America's Drug War | Drug Wars | FRONTLINE | PBS
Headings: 

Content: The new Ford administration is preoccupied with inflation, jobs and an energy crisis. The DEA remains the legacy of Nixon's war on drugs. 1975
(September)

Ford administration releases White Paper on Drug Abuse. The Domestic Council Drug Abuse Task Force releases a report that recommends that "priority in Federal efforts in both supply and demand reduction be directed toward those drugs which inherently pose a greater risk to the individual and to society." The White Paper names marijuana a "low priority drug" in contrast to heroin, amphetamines and mixed barbiturates. 1975
(November 22)

Large cocaine seizure indicates significant growth of cocaine trade. Colombian police seize 600 kilos of cocaine from a small plane at the Cali airport--the largest cocaine seizure to date. In response, drug traffickers begin a vendetta--"Medellin Massacre." 40 people die in Medellin on one weekend. This event signals the new power of Colombia's cocaine industry, headquartered in Medellin.