Drug War and Drug Policy

A man in a mask is surrounded by police

The Spectacular Fall of Honduras’s Juan Orlando Hernandez The Spectacular Fall of Honduras’s Juan Orlando Hernandez

The former president will face drug charges in a US court, but it was the US that empowered him.

Feb 28, 2022 / Jared Olson

A Black man in a suit sits at a table with a thick booklet in front of a crowd.

America’s Mayors Should Take Marion Barry as a Model. Seriously. America’s Mayors Should Take Marion Barry as a Model. Seriously.

The former D.C. mayor’s pioneering efforts to provide jobs, affordable housing, and food security deserve to be remembered long after the jokes about his drug use have grown stale.

Feb 14, 2022 / Christina M. Greer

Fulton Leroy Washington

Fulton Leroy Washington Was a Prison Painter. Now He’s an Art-World Star. Fulton Leroy Washington Was a Prison Painter. Now He’s an Art-World Star.

The 66-year-old wants to use Black art to transform Compton.

Sep 7, 2021 / Q&A / Karlos K. Hill

mock drug injection site

We Should Hand Out Free Heroin to Drug Users We Should Hand Out Free Heroin to Drug Users

The idea that abstinence works is more about our fear of drugs than it is about science.

Aug 25, 2021 / P.E. Moskowitz

The Story of “El Chapo” and Why the Drug War Will Never End

The Story of “El Chapo” and Why the Drug War Will Never End The Story of “El Chapo” and Why the Drug War Will Never End

A conversation with Noah Hurowitz about his new book on the Mexican drug lord and the lurid spectacle of mainstream drug coverage.

Aug 2, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Zachary Siegel

The War on Drugs Is 50 Years Old

The War on Drugs Is 50 Years Old The War on Drugs Is 50 Years Old

It’s a war we were destined—and that we deserved—to lose.

Jul 7, 2021 / Alfred W. McCoy

Covid opioid addiction

The Other Epidemic Killing Americans The Other Epidemic Killing Americans

People are dying at record rates from opioid overdoses, and harm reduction advocates are asking the Biden administration to overhaul how it deals with the crisis.

May 28, 2021 / Michelle Chen

DA Larry Krasner

The Police Union Failed Miserably in Its Attempt to Beat Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner The Police Union Failed Miserably in Its Attempt to Beat Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner

Across the country, police unions are trying to defeat progressive reformers. Tuesday’s hotly contested election shows voters remain committed to changing an unjust system.

May 19, 2021 / John Nichols

US Mexico Border Wall

Visions of a Borderless World Visions of a Borderless World

We must not forget that borders are an impediment to a new world based on empathy and equality.

May 18, 2021 / Todd Miller

Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner

Larry Krasner—and the Future of the Criminal Justice Reform Movement—Is on Tuesday’s Ballot Larry Krasner—and the Future of the Criminal Justice Reform Movement—Is on Tuesday’s Ballot

The Philadelphia prosecutor who’s opposed police violence and mass incarceration faces an intense challenge backed by the police union.

May 14, 2021 / John Nichols

x