Drug Policy

Featured Publications

Professional researchers working in a hemp field, they are checking plants

How a Well-Regulated Texas Hemp Industry Can Promote Public Safety

The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill sparked a booming hemp-derived cannabinoid market, but its rapid growth has created serious consumer risks due to inadequate regulation both in Texas and nationwide. This report from the Drug Policy Program outlines how a well-regulated hemp industry — instead of a ban on these products — is essential for protecting public health, while offering recommendations to Texas lawmakers on ensuring safer products and preventing youth access.

Wooden judge hammer and sound block with seeds and flower of marijuana

Drug Policy | Policy Brief

Mapping Hemp Products’ Legal Status Across US States

Portrait of scientist with mask, glasses and gloves checking hemp plants in a greenhouse.

Drug Policy | Issue Brief

Breaking Down Popular Cannabis Compounds

Capitalism and healthcare policy concept. Colorful medical pills cover Benjamin Franklin's face on one hundred American dollar bill. Macro top down view.

Election 2024: Policy Playbook | Drug Policy | Policy Brief

It’s Time to Tackle the Epidemic of US Drug-Related Deaths

American Drug Use Dashboard

Our interactive dashboard lets users explore decades of data on substance use from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The findings provide a more accurate and illuminating picture of drug use than is typically presented in popular media or reflected in U.S. drug policies.

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Drug Truth Archive

Since the early 2000s, contributing expert Dean Becker has hosted Cultural Baggage and Century of Lies, both Houston-based radio talk shows that air on stations across the country. Explore the shows’ audio archives — provided by Becker’s Drug Truth Network, which supports U.S. policies that treat drug use as a health issue instead of a criminal one.

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About the Program

Policy regarding drugs, both legal and illegal and explicitly including alcohol, poses some of the most prominent and perplexing issues facing modern societies. For nearly a century, the United States has been an active proponent of the punitive prohibition of illicit drugs. Unfortunately, the “War on Drugs” has been largely unsuccessful; prosecution of illegal drug consumption has filled our prisons without significantly reducing crime, decreasing homelessness, preventing overdose deaths, diminishing the spread of HIV or undermining the illegal drug market.

Many now argue that the vision of a “drug-free” America is unrealistic. Other countries are turning to “harm reduction” policies to reduce the societal damage that illegal drug use causes. With cautious optimism, the Drug Policy Program pursues research and open debate on local and national drug policies in hopes of developing pragmatic policies based on common sense, driven by human rights interests, and focused on reducing the death, disease, crime and suffering associated with drug use.