Drug War and Drug Policy Archives

A hand-drawn poster with a heart on it, with words including

Oregon Revives the Drug War Oregon Revives the Drug War

The state’s landmark decriminalization initiative wasn’t given a real chance.

May 8, 2024 / Lydia Kiesling

In the US, Mental Health Treatment Can Be a Death Sentence In the US, Mental Health Treatment Can Be a Death Sentence

Deploying the language of “helping” those in need, policymakers are reaching not for a Band-Aid but a club.

Feb 6, 2024 / Mattea Kramer and Dr. Sean Fogler

The Blue-Blood Families That Made Fortunes in the Opium Trade The Blue-Blood Families That Made Fortunes in the Opium Trade

Long before the Sacklers appeared on the scene, families like the Astors, the Peabodys, and the Delanos cemented their upper-crust status through the global trade in opium.

Jan 23, 2024 / Feature / Amitav Ghosh

Extracting heroin from poppies on April 10, 1978, in Los Angeles, Calif.

A Metaphysical Memoir of Heroin A Metaphysical Memoir of Heroin

Michael Clune’s White Out is among the most intense and intellectually thrilling books on opiate addiction.

Jan 8, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Kolitz

A person holds drug paraphernalia near the Washington Center building on SW Washington St. in downtown Portland, Ore., on April 4, 2023.

We Need to Modify—Not Trash—Oregon’s Trailblazing Drug Decriminalization Law We Need to Modify—Not Trash—Oregon’s Trailblazing Drug Decriminalization Law

Measure 110 made Oregon the first in country to decriminalize all drugs. The law was poorly implemented and should be changed, not discarded.

Dec 22, 2023 / Column / Sasha Abramsky

A black and white photo of two people handing out Narcan.

In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon

By passing Measure 110, Oregonians sought to begin undoing the harms caused by over 50 years of a failed War on Drugs. Those harms won’t be fixed overnight.

Sep 8, 2023 / Abdullah Shihipar, Alexandria Macmadu, and Brandon D.L. Marshall

Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People? Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People?

It started as a crisis among white people. But now that overdoses are surging in Black and Brown communities, government is failing to invest in the healthcare-based approaches tha...

Aug 28, 2023 / Helena Hansen, Jules Netherland, and David Herzberg

president joe biden and son hunter biden hug after a speech

The Real Hunter Biden Scandal The Real Hunter Biden Scandal

Joe Biden’s empathy is admirable. But it shouldn’t just be reserved for family.

Aug 18, 2023 / Jeet Heer

US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland addresses the findings of a Justice Department investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department during a press conference in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 16, 2023.

The Federal Government Is “Affirming Everything That Black People Have Been Saying” The Federal Government Is “Affirming Everything That Black People Have Been Saying”

The Department of Justice report slamming the Minneapolis Police Department is also a cause for hope.

Jun 22, 2023 / Ibrahim Hirsi

Protesters at a rally for Banko Brown outside of the San Francisco district attorney's office on May 17, 2023.

The Killing of Banko Brown Shows What San Francisco’s Real Crisis Looks Like The Killing of Banko Brown Shows What San Francisco’s Real Crisis Looks Like

A Black, trans, unhoused man was shot to death by a security guard. The DA refused to press charges. Why isn't the national media paying attention?

May 23, 2023 / Toshio Meronek

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Drug War and Drug Policy

Oregon Revives the Drug War Oregon Revives the Drug War

In the US, Mental Health Treatment Can Be a Death Sentence In the US, Mental Health Treatment Can Be a Death Sentence

The Blue-Blood Families That Made Fortunes in the Opium Trade The Blue-Blood Families That Made Fortunes in the Opium Trade

A Metaphysical Memoir of Heroin A Metaphysical Memoir of Heroin

We Need to Modify—Not Trash—Oregon’s Trailblazing Drug Decriminalization Law We Need to Modify—Not Trash—Oregon’s Trailblazing Drug Decriminalization Law

In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon

Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People? Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People?

The Real Hunter Biden Scandal The Real Hunter Biden Scandal

The Federal Government Is “Affirming Everything That Black People Have Been Saying” The Federal Government Is “Affirming Everything That Black People Have Been Saying”

The Killing of Banko Brown Shows What San Francisco’s Real Crisis Looks Like The Killing of Banko Brown Shows What San Francisco’s Real Crisis Looks Like

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Drug War and Drug Policy

Oregon Revives the Drug War Oregon Revives the Drug War

In the US, Mental Health Treatment Can Be a Death Sentence In the US, Mental Health Treatment Can Be a Death Sentence

The Blue-Blood Families That Made Fortunes in the Opium Trade The Blue-Blood Families That Made Fortunes in the Opium Trade

A Metaphysical Memoir of Heroin A Metaphysical Memoir of Heroin

We Need to Modify—Not Trash—Oregon’s Trailblazing Drug Decriminalization Law We Need to Modify—Not Trash—Oregon’s Trailblazing Drug Decriminalization Law

In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon In Defense of Drug Decriminalization—Yes, in Oregon

Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People? Will the Opioid Crisis Deliver Its Worst Harms to Black and Brown People?

The Real Hunter Biden Scandal The Real Hunter Biden Scandal

The Federal Government Is “Affirming Everything That Black People Have Been Saying” The Federal Government Is “Affirming Everything That Black People Have Been Saying”

The Killing of Banko Brown Shows What San Francisco’s Real Crisis Looks Like The Killing of Banko Brown Shows What San Francisco’s Real Crisis Looks Like