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Drug History Shorts: Inside the Secret History of How the World Got Hooked on Drugs

Sponsored Project

  • Peter List, Director
  • James Bradford, Producer
  • Isaac Campos, Producer
  • and Marion Bradford, Producer
A prescription bottle - labeled with "Drug History Shorts" - is surrounded by various psychoactive drugs, such as the cannabis leaf, the peyote cactus, psilocybin mushrooms, coca, and the poppy plant.

About the Project

Why are some drugs taboo, while others are not? Why can a substance be legally prescribed by a doctor in one context, but in another, expose its users to draconian penalties, even execution?

Drug History Shorts reveals the hidden stories behind the global drug trade, from the Andes’ cocaine economy to the psychedelic traditions of North American native healers. Eight short stories unravel how culture, politics, and history shape the drugs we fear, the drugs we love, and our approaches to them, from prohibition to legalization. With visuals from award-winning animator Peter List, music by award-winning composer Alison Plante, and history from ground-breaking scholars, this series challenges everything you thought you knew about drugs and their impact on our world.

Drug History Shorts will transform how the general public engages with history and how historians engage with the public. Together, these chapters provide a visually entertaining yet edifying bridge between cutting-edge scholarship and the public discourse on drugs.