Drug czar is an informal name for the person who directs drug-control policies in various areas. The term follows the informal use of the term czar in U.S. politics. The 'drug czar' title first appeared in a 1982 news story by United 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, several ad 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 company Deutsche Welle.
The first US Drug czar was Harry J. Anslinger who served as the first Commissioner of the Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics from 1930 to 1962, under the administrations of five presidents: Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy. Legislative efforts for marijuana prohibition under Anslinger included a push for all states to adopt similar drug laws, the Uniform State Narcotic Drug Act and the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which in effect criminalized the drug and set the stage for marijuana prohibition.
In California, the head of the state Bureau of Medical Cannabis has been called "marijuana czar".
Following statewide medical and recreational legalization, the city of Sacramento, California appointed a director of cannabis policy and enforcement, called a pot czar.
In Washington State, the consultant to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board determining statewide procedures and regulations following legalization was "quickly dubbed 'pot czar'". A similar cannabis regulation staff position in Oregon Liquor Control Commission was also called "marijuana czar".
In the UK, Keith Hellawell, former Drugs Advisor to the Labour government of Tony Blair, has been referred to as a drug czar.