From 2020 to 2023, sales of hemp-derived cannabinoids increased by 1,283%, reaching a value of $2.78 billion last year. Although the Texas hemp industry is booming, lack of regulation poses risks to public health. A new brief from the Drug Policy Program makes specific recommendations for strengthening and enforcing current laws — ensuring consumer safety while also providing economic benefits for the state.

Over half of all Americans live in a state where cannabis is legalized. And yet, the federal government has not reclassified marijuana since 1970. According to the Controlled Substances Act, it is considered a “Schedule 1” substance — the same classification as heroin and crack cocaine with no accepted medical use.

Legalizing recreational marijuana was intended to remedy the racially disparate effects of cannabis prohibition. But new research from our experts finds persistent racial disparities in the legal system’s practice of mandating treatment for cannabis use.

Federal marijuana legalization is on the horizon — and it’s time for the DEA to get behind the policy changes and move on to fighting more dangerous drugs, writes nonresident fellow Gary Hale.

This paper builds on social network analysis (SNA) and the use of node similarity-based algorithms to make link predictions about Mexico’s network of criminal organizations.

Abstract

Purpose – Despite the progression of recreational cannabis legalization, the legal system remains the largest…

In 2022, the nation faced fundamental questions about how we govern our economy and society — particularly how we formulate public policy. Here, we share 10 highlights of our work that illustrate our impact from the previous year.

On October 12, 2022, Katharine Neill Harris, the Alfred C. Glassell, III, Fellow in Drug Policy, testified before the Texas House of Representatives Interim Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform. Her written testimony addresses the committee's inquiry into policies and penalties relating to drug offenses.

This October the U.S. and Mexico agreed on a new bilateral security program, but "unless the United States and Mexico pursue domestic structural reforms ... both nations risk backsliding to the failures of the drug wars," writes MGA student and Drug Policy guest contributor Sidney Phillips.