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American History

America’s First Multimillionaire Got Rich Off Opium

5. Laws, Loopholes, and Moral Questions

5. Laws, Loopholes, and Moral Questions
A historical reflection on America’s unregulated opium trade and evolving drug laws.

In the early 1800s, the United States lacked comprehensive drug regulations, allowing John Jacob Astor to profit legally from the opium trade. This absence of strict oversight contrasts sharply with today’s stringent narcotic laws and ongoing moral debates surrounding drug use and trafficking (everything.explained.today).

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