1919
Methamphetamine, a more potent and easier to make amphetamine, was discovered
in Japan.

1930's
Amphetamines, first marketed as 'Benzedrine' and sold as a decongestant, appear in an over-the-counter inhaler.

1937
Amphetamine becomes available by prescription in tablet form for the treatment of narcolepsy and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

1939-1945
Amphetamine widely distributed among both Axis and Allied soldiers to help them during World War 2.

1942
Dextro-amphetamine and methamphetamine become commonly available.

1960's
Legally manufactured methamphetamine in the U.S. is used by students, truck drivers and athletes to help with alertness. Illegal meth from biker groups utilizes the P2P method and becomes marketed as a small white “Cross-Top” pill.

1970
With the passage of the "U.S. Drug Abuse Regulation and Control Act of 1970", amphetamine becomes illegal.

1980
First ephedrine based meth, twice as potent as its predecessor, is produced
by biker gangs.

1980's
Mexican drug runners continue to spread ephedrine, while meth “cookers” pop up across the West Coast.

1986
DEA spearheads legislation to document and track the production of chemicals used
to cook meth. Pharmaceutical companies resist tracking pseudoephedrine sales.

1988
DEA compromises with the pharmaceutical industry and mandates records for raw ephedrine production; no restrictions or records are
yet required for pills.

1990's
Meth production skyrockets as pill-based recipes spread and the Amezcua cartel in Mexico begins buying ephedrine directly from foreign producers.

1995
New legislation requires ephedrine sellers to register with the DEA, however the bill does not cover pseudoephedrine
pill sellers.

1995
Pseudoephedrine, the new unrestricted pill of choice for meth cooks, requires more flammable chemicals for cooking. Lab explosions increase dramatically.

1996
New legislation limits the sale of pseudoephedrine to DEA registered vendors. Blister packs are employed to deter cooks from using them, a futile effort.

1997
Many bogus companies apply for ephedrine licenses successfully, and make millions by selling the chemical
to superlabs.

1998
DEA estimates that 80% of American meth is under the recently arraigned Amezuca Cartel’s control. New cartels are forming to supply the rampant American meth demand.

1999
Cold pill manufacture quadruples in Canada as meth cooks tap the unregulated pharmaceutical companies there.

2004
Mexico imports twice the required amount of pseudoephedrine, of which 100 tons are used to cook meth, now purer than ever before.

2004
Steve Suo authors "The Unnecessary Epidemic" exposing the meth problem in Oregon. Oklahoma instates the first legislation requiring pharmacies to sell the pills behind the counter and to
record the purchaser's ID.

2005
Congress passes the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act, requiring that pseudoephidrine be kept under lock and key nationwide, and toughening the sentences for meth traffickers.

2005
In September, the Montana Meth Project begins a campaign called, “Not Even Once,” targeting at risk teens and informing the public of
meth’s risks.

2005
Mexican government agrees to limit imports of Pseudoephedrine to legitimate levels needed for cold medicine, reducing the number of retail outlets selling the drug from 51,000 to 17,000.

2006
The Minnesota County Attorney’s Association begins production on the Revealing Meth in Minnesota documentary.

2006
The U.N. World Drug Report calls meth the most abused hard drug on earth, and the world's 26 million meth addicts equals the combined number for cocaine and heroin users. America alone has 1.4 million users, and the number is rising; globally, the highest concentration of addicts is in East and Southeast Asia.

2005
Deputy drug czar Scott M. Burns testifies that the administration's "strategy to reduce drug use in America is not focused on one illicit drug at the expense of another, but seeks to reduce all illicit drug use. However, officials at ONDCP, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Justice realize that methamphetamine, illicitly used prescription drugs, and club drugs -- collectively referred to as synthetic drugs -- pose a unique challenge, and constitute an emerging problem."