Methlahoma explains how the methamphetamine epidemic has adversely affected various people in Oklahoma. The opioid crisis has been well covered but the meth crisis may be worse. To better understand how a man-made drug like meth is destroying communities Methlahoma describes the history of the drug trade and how the United States uses the criminal justice system to fight the "war on drugs." Methlahoma describes how modern narcotics trafficking is related to global trade including the advent of online marketing and the use of the darknet to distribute deadly narcotics via postal and parcel services. Methlahoma contains a detailed glossary of drug terminology and a comprehensive timeline in the modern development of drugs and the government's efforts to enforce prohibition. Methlahoma also describes addiction from several perspectives ranging from those who consume narcotics, destroyed families and even how addiction is described in modern literature by a well-known novelist who fictionalized his drug life. Modern narcotics trafficking began with the British East India Company exporting opium to China in the 19th century to correct trade imbalances with China which sourced the majority of Britain's luxury goods such as silk, tea and porcelain. Two opium wars followed China's demand to cease the opium trade which resulted in Britain successfully opening up Chinese ports for their trade. Later, Opium sourced from Asia became the top supplier to American addicts. To combat the growing menace of opium addiction the United States criminalized opium trafficking and possession in 1914 which inaugurated the "war on drugs." The creation of black markets attracted organized crime to the drug trade and eventually these markets came to be dominated by Columbian and Mexican drug mafias that continue to operate with near impunity today. Modern trade facilitation laws and free trade agreements with countries like Mexico has also benefitted drug cartels. Illegal narcotics such as meth and heroin are smuggled into the United States where they are distributed via a web of modern interstate and state highways to customers throughout the United States. However, the traditional drug trafficking organizations are adversely affected by online drug distributors-often in China- who sell drugs directly to consumers and send the drugs through the United States Postal Service. The easy availability of drugs at affordable prices has made billions of dollars for drug trafficking organizations but has wreaked havoc in America's communities. In order to increase demand, the drug traffickers have increased the potency of drugs, such as met, in order to make more profits. Today, the United States must reexamine the war on drugs in light of current conditions to develop a better strategy in containing addiction and reducing the demand for potent and deadly drugs.
