Drug czar is aninformal name for the person who directs drug-control policies in various areas. The term follows the informal use of the termczar in U.S. politics. The 'drug czar' title first appeared in a 1982 news story byUnited Press International that reported that, "[United States] Senators ... voted 62–34 to establish a 'drug czar' who would have overall responsibility for U.S. drug policy."^[1] Since then, severalad hoc executive positions established in both the United States and United Kingdom have subsequently been referred to in this manner.

The Drug Commissioner of the German Federal Government has been called the nation's drug czar by the state media companyDeutsche Welle.^[2]

The first US Drug czar wasHarry J. Anslinger, who served as the first Commissioner of the Treasury Department'sFederal Bureau of Narcotics from 1930 to 1962, under the administrations of five presidents:Herbert Hoover,Franklin Delano Roosevelt,Harry S. Truman,Dwight D. Eisenhower andJohn F. Kennedy. Legislative efforts for marijuana prohibition under Anslinger included a push for all states to adopt similar drug laws, theUniform State Narcotic Drug Act and theMarijuana Tax Act of 1937, which in effect criminalized the drug and set the stage for marijuana prohibition.

• Jerome Jaffe, head of the Special Office for Drug Abuse Prevention
• Myles Ambrose, head of theOffice of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE)
• Robert DuPont, Director of theNational Institute on Drug Abuse and head of the Narcotics Treatment Administration

• Peter Bourne, Director of the National Drug Control Policy followed by Lee I Dogoloff
• Mathea Falco, AssistantSecretary of State for International Narcotics

• Carlton Turner PhD, ScD, Director of the Drug Abuse Policy Office. Turner, while working as drug czar, was in communication with Elisaldo Carlini, a scientist in Brazil whose lab was studying the beneficial effects of CBD. Turner helped establish the Marijuana Research Project at theUniversity of Mississippi^[3]
• D. Ian McDonald, MD. Deputy Assistant to the President, Drug Abuse Policy Office
• Vice President George H.W. Bush, who created and oversaw the Vice President's National Narcotics Border Interdiction System

• The Director of theOffice of National Drug Control Policy

• The Chair of theOpioid and Drug Abuse Commission,^{[note 1][4]} (who has been described as an "opioid czar")^[5]

InCalifornia, the head of the stateBureau of Medical Cannabis has been called "marijuana czar".^[6]

Following statewide medical and recreational legalization, the city ofSacramento, California appointed a director of cannabis policy and enforcement, called a pot czar.^[7]

In Washington State, the consultant to theWashington State Liquor and Cannabis Board determining statewide procedures and regulations following legalization was "quickly dubbed 'pot czar'".^[8] A similar cannabis regulation staff position inOregon Liquor Control Commission was also called "marijuana czar".^[9]

In theUK,Keith Hellawell, former Drugs Advisor to theLabour government ofTony Blair, has been referred to as a drug czar.

• List of U.S. executive branch 'czars'

• Senators urge Obama to deliver consistent message on marijuanaFresno Bee, July 29, 2014

• Directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy

• WaPoCheckDates
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata