Kastalia Medrano

Kastalia is Filter‘s deputy editor. She previously worked at half a dozen mainstream digital media outlets and does not recommend the drug war coverage at any of them. For a while she was a syringe program peer worker in NYC, where she did outreach hep C testing and navigated participants through treatment. She also writes with Jon Kirkpatrick.

Nationally, Overdose Is Still Going Down. In the West, It’s Going Back Up.

The latest overdose mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the rate of drug deaths…

May 14, 2026

GOP Eyes Death Penalty for Fentanyl Sale, as DOJ Calls for More Executions

Under a proposed amendment to the Controlled Substances Act, defendants in federal overdose cases could face the death penalty for…

May 13, 2026

DOT Backs “Witnessed” Urine Drug-Testing for Truck Drivers

The Department of Transportation will require “directly observed” urine drug-testing in federal workplace situations where saliva testing has been called…

May 12, 2026

First Analysis of Free Prison Phone Calls Shows They Reduce Violence

The first comprehensive report on the impact of offering free phone calls in United States prisons and jails shows that…

May 11, 2026

2026 National Drug Control Strategy Is Very Concerned About Marijuana

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has released the 2026 National Drug Control Strategy, the first one under…

May 6, 2026

SAMHSA Bans Fentanyl Test Strips, OD Hotlines From Grant Funding

The Trump administration will no longer allow grant funding from the Department of Health and Human Services to pay for…

April 29, 2026

DEA Begins Next Steps Following Medical Marijuana Rescheduling Order

Days after the Department of Justice rescheduled state-licensed medical marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration has…

April 28, 2026

DOJ Reclassifies Medical Marijuana as Schedule III, Sets New Hearing Date

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has signed an order moving state-licensed medical marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III…

April 23, 2026

Historic Drop in Overdose Deaths Has Slowed by More Than Half Since 2024

On April 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its most recent monthly provisional drug overdose death count,…

April 16, 2026

Illinois Bill Would Put Long-Acting OUD Meds in Prisons, Sort Of

Illinois lawmakers are considering a proposal to pilot long-acting injectable medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) within the state prison…

April 14, 2026