The Boggs Act of 1951 amended the Narcotic Drugs Import and Export Act and set mandatory sentences for drug convictions. A first offense conviction for cannabis

possession Possession may refer to: Law *Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance *Drug possession, a crime *Ownership *Pe ...

carried a

minimum sentence Mandatory sentencing requires that people convicted of certain crimes serve a predefined term of imprisonment, removing the discretion of judges to take issues such as extenuating circumstances and a person's likelihood of rehabilitation into co ...

of 2 to 10 years and a fine of up to $20,000.

History

The act was sponsored by

Hale Boggs Thomas Hale Boggs Sr. (February 15, 1914 – disappeared October 16, 1972; declared dead December 29, 1972) was an American Democratic Party politician and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the H ...

, a Louisiana Democrat. On November 2, 1951,

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

signed the act into law. On January 4, 1952, under the provisions of the act, over 500 people were arrested.

References

{{reflist 1952 in American law 1952 in the United States 82nd United States Congress Cannabis law in the United States Drug policy of the United States History of drug control in the United States United States federal controlled substances legislation 1952 in cannabis