L.A. heroin history

[China white]

I just asked this on a different thread so im sorry about that, but at the time i couldnt figure out how to make a thread. I often read books on what the U.S. heroin scene was like back in the day. Particularly in the 40's and 50's. Back then there were no colombians, mexicans, pakistani's, Nigerians on the us scene(at least that i know of). There were hardly any independents, it seemed like all roads led to new york and families. anyways i wonder at what time did the tar start popping up and how fast it took over because powder is pretty much non existent out west. and why it it took over?was it that much cheaper....or was there really not that much heroin in la in the first place. I ask these questions like maybe someone can add some insight

[China white]

wow..i guess people give a shit about this subject.....i may aswell fucking erase it

[Thanat0s]

dont get all worked up now, i do indeed find the topid of interest but have nothing to add prior to the modern(80s) la music scene heroin history.

hopefully someone has some insight?
SF history would be neat0 as well...

[mikey5string]

wow..i guess people give a shit about this subject.....i may aswell fucking erase it

aww. cheer up buddy. im sure someone will feel sorry for you and reply.

i was hoping nobody would. even after your little pity party. that would have been funny! but alas, thanatos ruined it ;)

seriously though. ive had many failed threads. dont sweat it. just try harder next time!! :)

its only been 1 day! give it some time. people are probably at the library or conducting interviews for you!
i love old junky stories. i hope you get some.

[Thanat0s]

anyone got an anthony keidis (sp?) biography? there some skidrow heroin history right there.

and yeah, yeah, i ruined it, poor thread needed a post or two tho.
:rolleyes:

[duck]

Yeah I own a copy, Scar Tissue is the title, I found it very entertaining the first time I read it in high school.

[blackwrx]

Ill post what I can find with my resources.. here first is an excerpt from the UNODC bulletin on narcotics from 1949 on the origins of opium..long read

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1949-01-01_1_page008.html

let me know if you cannot access it and I will try to paste it here

[blackwrx]

and here is a very interesting article on heroin in the US published in 1951 on cuts that started to appear in powder heroin

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1951-01-01_1_page004.html


an excerpt:

Fortunately for us in those early days when we were inexperienced and overworked, all the drugs were pure (unmixed) and only sure identification was required. It was only years later, after the prohibited drugs had become scarce, that mixing became common. Nowadays there is usually more milk-sugar, powdered sugar, corn starch, mannitol, magnesium sulphate, sodium bicarbonate, or some other filler in a sample than there is heroin.

another interesting excerpt:

I remember also the menace of the red heroin pill, when the country suddenly became flooded with pills for smoking in lieu of opium,. containing caffeine, cinchonine, heroin, usually aspirin or salicylic acid, and a red dye. The vogue for these pills started in China, where they were manufactured in Shanghai and other places. Eventually we found a pill factory on Wentworth Street in Chicago. After the true character of these pills was discovered and the full strength of narcotics enforcement brought to bear against them, they rapidly disappeared from the scene.

[blackwrx]

and more here on "poorly acetylated heroin"

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1951-01-01_2_page003.html

here is a full list of all of the bulletins..you should be able to find the progression of heroin trade in the US in some of the journals.

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/index.html