Alexander Lekhtman

Alexander is Filter’s staff writer. He writes about the movement to end the War on Drugs. He grew up in New Jersey and swears it’s actually alright. He’s also a musician hoping to change the world through the power of ledger lines and legislation. Alexander was previously Filter‘s editorial fellow.

Multnomah County, Oregon, Begins Its Post-Decrim “Deflection” Strategy

Oregon recriminalized drug possession on September 1—overturning the voter-approved Measure 110, which decriminalized simple possession of all drugs from early…

October 8, 2024

License Fees a Sticking Point as Colorado Plans Legal Psilocybin Services

The clock is ticking for legal psilocybin therapy to begin in Colorado. In 2022, voters approved Proposition 122, a measure…

October 3, 2024

US Drug Enforcement’s Role in the Current Violence in Sinaloa, Mexico

A major outbreak of violence in Culiacán, Mexico, spotlights United States drug war tactics and puts hard questions to new…

October 2, 2024

Over 200,000 Arrests for Marijuana Possession in 2023, Per FBI Data

Hundreds of thousands of people are still being arrested for marijuana possession in the United States. New data are a…

September 26, 2024

For NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Abuses, Discipline Is “Close to Nonexistent”

Over a decade after the New York City Police Department's notoriously racist "stop-and-frisk" practice was ruled unconstitutional, officers who engage…

September 25, 2024

CA Proposes “Treatment-Mandated Felony” Sentence for Drug Possession

In 2014, California voters passed a ballot initiative that punished most drug possession and shoplifting as misdemeanors rather than felonies.…

September 24, 2024

Socialist Presidential Candidate Talks Harm Reduction and the Drug War

On a sunny day in Milwaukee, I drove downtown to interview a presidential candidate. The city has buzzed with political…

September 20, 2024

Psychedelic-Climate Week Launches in NYC: What Are the Connections?

Psychedelic-Climate Week launched in Manhattan on September 17. Timed to run alongside the annual Climate Week NYC, with most events…

September 18, 2024

Safehouse Fights On for Philadelphia OPC With New Court Filings

The nonprofit Safehouse is fighting on in a legal struggle which has so far lasted over almost five years, in…

September 17, 2024

Missouri Begins Quiet Crackdown on Hemp Products Sold in Stores

In Missouri, state officials are orchestrating a quiet crackdown on stores that sell hemp products. It’s targeting "intoxicating" products—like smokeables…

September 11, 2024