• 3400 BCE: Sumerians use opium poppies for pain relief and rituals.

• 3000 BCE: Cannabis used in China for medicinal purposes.

• 1000 BCE: Indigenous South Americans chew coca leaves for energy​​

• 1800-Opium, morphine, and cocaine are used in mainstream medicine in UK..

• late 1800s: Opium, morphine, and cocaine widely used in Western medicine.

• 1805: Morphine is isolated from opium by Friedrich Sertürner.

• 1859: Cocaine extracted from coca leaves by Albert Niemann

• 1868.First regulation of poisons and dangerous substances. Limited sales to chemists.

• 1874: Heroin is synthesized from morphine by C.R. Wright..

• 1895-Maximum penalty for trafficking Class A drugs increased to life imprisonment.

• 1906: U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act passed, requiring labeling of medicines.

• 1908-Regulations on sale and labelling, including coca

• 1912: Hague Opium Convention—first international drug control treaty.

•  1914: Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (U.S.) regulates and taxes opiates and coca product

• 1916-Sale and possession of cocaine restricted to "authorised persons

• 1920-The Dangerous Drugs Act was the first UK law to control substances like cocaine, morphine, and heroin

• 1920: Alcohol prohibition begins in the U.S. (ends 1933).

• 1925-.Controlled importation of coca leaf and cannabis in UK.

• 1925: Geneva Convention further restricts narcotics.

• 1928-Criminalised possession of cannabis. Doctors continued to be able to prescribe any drugs as treatments, including for addiction.

• ​1948: UN establishes Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

• 1960  :initial drug laws based on French colonial regulations after Ivory Coast independence from France.

• ​1961: UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs creates a global system for categorizing and controlling drugs.

•  1964-Criminalised cultivation of cannabis following UN 1961 Single Convention.

• 1964-Criminalised possession of amphetamines

• 1967-Doctors required to notify Home Office of addicted patients. Restriction on prescription of heroin and cocaine for treatment of addiction

• 1971- UK enactsThe Misuse of Drugs Act classifies drugs into three categories: Class A, B, and C, and sets legal penalties for their possession, use, and trafficking.

• 1971: UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances (controls synthetic drugs like LSD, amphetamines).

• 971 :TIvory Coast ratifies international drug control conventions, aligning with UN frameworks.

• 1973: U.S. creates the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

• 1980-There has been a rise in heroin use and a related HIV/AIDS crisis among people who inject drugs.

• 1986-1988: Crack cocaine epidemic rises in U.S.; Anti-Drug Abuse Acts passed.

• 1986- UK making suspects aware of an investigation criminalised. Police could compel breaches of confidentiality, and could search and seize.

• 1988: The United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances strengthens international drug law enforcement.

• 1988 :  Ivory Coast Adopts stricter national laws under the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

• 1991-UK  probation order could have attached a condition of attending drug treatment

• 1996: California has become the first US state to legalise medical cannabis.

• 1995-The Advisory Council’s review led to increased harm reduction measures, such as needle exchanges and methadone programmes.

• 1998-Created the Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO).

• 2000-There has been a surge in the use of synthetic drugs such as ecstasy and mephedrone, as well as “legal highs”.

• 2000 :Drug trafficking has increased, particularly as a transit point for cocaine from Latin America through Ivory Coast to Europe​2003-Bail restriction charge with offences  Class A drug use. Creation of  the Community Order, drug rehabilitaion.replacing the 

• 2003-Premises used for Class A drugs supply could be closed.

• 2006-Punitive conditions can be attached to conditional cautioning.

• 2010s: The opioid crisis is escalating in the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe.

• ​2010 :There has been a significant rise in the misuse of prescription drugs, particularly tramadol.   Enhanced regional cooperation with ECOWAS and UNODC to combat trafficking and drug abuse..

• 2012: Uruguay has become the first country to legalise cannabis for recreational use..

• 2013-2017 amendmend to dug driving law and guidance for healthcare professional and user of prescription medicine.

• 2016-The Psychoactive Substances Act bans the production and sale of “legal highs” that aren’t classified under older laws..

• 2018: Canada legalises recreational cannabis nationwide.

• 2020-Drug miuse statistic which examine illicit drug use among a sample of 16 to 59 years old.

• 2020 update- review of drug accessibility on illicit drug 

• ​2020:Ongoing public health campaigns and efforts to expand treatment and prevention, supported by international agencies, are underway.

• 2021 research and analysis on drug situation summury in UK.

• 2021: The UK has launched a 10-year strategy called “From Harm to Hope” to reduce drug-related crime an

• 2021 research and analysis on drug situation summury in UK.

• 2023 update on policy relating to documents on drug licensing

• 2024 update policy on -from harm to hope , 10 year years drugs plan to cut and saves lives, which strategy by reducing supply and demand for drugs

• 2025- alcohol and drug statistics , a series to brings all document relating to alcohol and drugs.

• 2025-laws allowing medicine prescribed to you if it contains a controlled drug in or out of the uk.

• 2025 update - Seizure of drugs in England and Wales relates to to seizures of drugs controlled under The Misuse  of Drugs Act (MDA) 197by local Police force and the UK Border Force.

• 2026-reform on clinical trials for Medicine modele IMPD’s authorise in Uk. 

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 Sources 

A Timeline of UK Drug PolicyTransform Drug Policy Foundationhttps://transformdrugs.org › timeline

https://www.gov.uk/search/all?keywords=Drug+timeline+in+UK&page=1

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/38/contents

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_United_Kingdom#:~:text=United%20Kingdom%20drug%20related%20legislation[7]