<P> Around 1860 : Efforts to regulate the sale of pharmaceuticals began , and laws were introduced on a state - to - state basis that created penalties for mislabeling drugs , adulterating them with undisclosed narcotics , and improper sale of those considered `` poisons '' . Poison laws generally either required labels on the packaging indicating the harmful effects of the drugs or prohibited sale outside of licensed pharmacies and without a doctor 's prescription . Prominent pharmaceutical societies at the time supported the listing of cannabis as a poison . </P>
when was the first legislation to control the distribution and use of narcotics passed
Around 1860