During the 60s and 70s, activists challenged the idea that only black and brown people got addicted to drugs. This led to the introduction of methadone as a medical way to treat addiction. However, it was implemented through a punitive system, with people being closely monitored. Today, methadone is still captured by this punitive logic and is regulated through strict federal regulations. Despite its history, it has never been fully medicalized and is still perceived as substituting one drug for another.