April is National Cannabis Month, so why not visit the DEA Museum in Pentagon City, Arlington? Three different exhibits take visitors on a wild "trip" of drugs in America.
Did you know drugs didn't even make an appearance in America until around 1850? You can learn all about it at the DEA Museum! After the gold rush of 1849, opium was brought to America by Chinese immigrants (who also came to work on railroads). But the British were really the start of the problem, because in order to fund their need for Chinese-produced tea, Britain had been smuggling Indian opium to China for years. This resulted in a crazy-high (pun intended) addiction rate among the Chinese. You can learn about opioid origins in America, as well as a plethora of other drug epidemics, and see tons of confiscated objects (like a diamond-plated handgun that belonged to infamous drug trafficker Rafael Caro Quintero and Manuel Noriega's passports) at the DEA Museum. Beyond the general museum collection, there are three exhibits to visit, including Illegal Drugs in America: A Modern History; Good Medicine, Bad Behavior; and Drugs: Costs & Consequences.Illegal Drugs in America: A Modern History
[gallery type="rectangular" ids="7324,7323,7320,7319,7327"] When the 20th century began, the United States — dealing with the opioid crisis — gradually started putting restrictions into place, both at home and overseas (to "crack" down on opium and coca crops). By World War II, the American drug problem was pretty much null and void. During the 1960s, the hippies threw us for another loop. Drugs like marijuana, amphetamines, and psychedelics got their groove on, and a new generation gave drugs a hug. The U.S. responded by creating new laws and agencies to address the problem. In 1973, the DEA was created to enforce federal drug laws. In the 1970s, cocaine reappeared. Then, a decade later, crack appeared, spreading addiction and violence at epidemic levels. In this exhibit, take a tour through the history of drug use in America, and see display cases filled with bongs, bowls, joints (that look petrified, they're so old), an assortment of the drugs themselves, smuggling devices, confiscated drug-dealer property, and a lot more.Good Medicine, Bad Behavior: Drug Diversion in America
[gallery type="rectangular" ids="7322,7321,7318"] This DEA Museum exhibit is an interactive one that dives into the prescription drug abuse problem in America today. It explores the history of prescription drug abuse and diversion in the U.S. and what efforts have been taken to fight the problem over time. The exhibit includes recreations of period pharmacies, descriptions of important cases, and displays the impact of the substances on the human body. The displays present the science of how these medicines can be therapeutic when taken properly and obviously not-so-helpful when misused and abused. Don't miss the resource area where you can read more about prescription drug abuse, interact with anti-drug abuse websites, and grab literature with more information.Drugs: Costs & Consequences
[gallery type="rectangular" ids="7326,7325"] This exhibit explores the opium and heroin connections in Afghanistan and looks at the global impact of drugs. It gives an in-depth look at drug production and trafficking, then presents an overview of the science of addiction and some of the costs and consequences of drugs on our society -- costs to the environment, to the body and brain, to communities, to health, and to kids. (Sounds like a downer). The DEA Museum is located at 700 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, right across from the Pentagon City Mall. For more information about planning your visit, click here.
Fun fact: the DEA Museum is asking for DONATIONS of paraphernalia. Say what? The exact verbiage on the site is:
The DEA Museum Collection welcomes donations. We are looking for artifacts that deal with the history of drugs and drug law enforcement. All donations are tax deductible. Each artifact that is received is cared for by the highest museum standards. If you have any questions or are interested in donating, please call the museum (202) 307-3463.First of all: "HIGHEST museum standards"? They just walked right into that one. And, um, I don't know about you guys, but if I'm going to be getting rid of any BONGS in my attic, I think I'd rather trash them than hand them in to the DEA! That could be a little awkward. "Here's my antique four-footer, Mr. DEA Officer. I swear I never inhaled!" Enough of these HIGH-jinks! Will you pay a visit to the DEA Museum in honor of National Cannabis Month? Already been? Tell us all about it in the comments!
