The author goes into some detail about Harry Anslinger's (FUCKING ASSHOLE!) reign of terror at the Bureau of Narcotics. Previously known as the Bureau of Prohibition. (They had to do SOMEthing with it)
Congress passed the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act in 1914 that criminalized cocaine and heroin, among others things. There was a clause in there that said that doctors could continue to prescribe heroin to their patients in an "act of compassion."
Anslinger didn't care about that clause. His agents went out and busted over 1,000 doctors in one day for (legally) prescribing heroin to patients. In Los Angeles, Harry's man (whose name escapes me at the moment), was actually being paid by Chinese drug lords who also wanted the legal administration of heroin shut down. So they got to control the black market.
That's the Chinese angle that struck me that sort of relates to your post.
So many times we have made something illegal (prohibition, cocaine, heroin, marijuana) and the gangs just move right in and take over. Consumption does not go down.
Good and frustrating book
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