May
28,
2020
Kremers Seminar in the History of Pharmacy & Drugs
2020 Summer Kreminar
In Marijuana Boom: The Rise and Fall of Colombia’s First Drug Paradise (University of California Press 2020), Lina Britto tells the forgotten story of the first explosion of illicit drugs in the Greater Magdalena region of Colombia. Arguing against traditional explanations that have attributed the rise of illicit economies to either the absence of the state or the moral degeneration of US consumers and smugglers, Britto sees the bonanza marimbera and cannabis as part of a history of nation-state formation, agrarian modernization, and interstate relations in the Americas. Drawing from her book, Britto’s presentation will touch on cannabis, nation state formation, illicit economies, and the history of the “war on drugs” in the Americas.
About the Kremers Seminar
The Kremers Seminar in the History of Pharmacy & Drugs, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy and the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy (AIHP), explores the history of pharmacy, pharmaceuticals, drugs, and medicines. The “Kreminar” features authors and scholars discussing their latest research and projects and aims to use history to inform contemporary understandings and debates about pharmacy, drugs and medicines.
Edward Kremers (1864-1941) was the second Director of the University of Wisconsin Department of Pharmacy (later the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy) and a co-founder of the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy. Throughout his career, he strongly believed in the importance of history and the value of humanistic research in pharmacy and the health sciences. Kremers also encouraged critical thought about drug consumption and control in the United States, encouraging the news media, political leaders, and pharmacy leaders to think about the meanings associated with words like “drug,” “narcotics,” and “medicine.” He opposed prohibitionist impulses and groups, arguing that that restrictive measures would not solve the misuse of certain substances. Kremers also resisted language and policies that placed blame on foreigners for drug addiction or crime.
In the spirit of Edward Kremers, each Kreminar focuses on a specific theme and features weekly presentations that provide crucial historical context about contemporary issues related to drugs and pharmacy. Dr. Lucas Richert, George Urdang Chair in the History of Pharmacy at the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy and the AIHP Historical Director, hosts the Seminar. The 2020 Summer Kreminar will be a virtual seminar with streaming online presentations.
