Politics + Legalization

Exclusive Investigation: The Power and Prejudice of DAs on Drugs

Public opinion is souring on the criminalization of drug use. But what prevents this from translating into practice? While politicians…

November 1, 2018

Portland’s Democratic DA Candidate Drops Out After Sexual Conduct Accusations. That’s Really Bad for Maine Drug Policy.

On October 30, Democratic candidate Jon Gale announced his resignation from the race for Cumberland County District Attorney, Maine's most powerful…

October 30, 2018

Brazil Heading for Even Deadlier Drug War After Election of President Jair Bolsonaro

On October 28, repressive drug policy secured a powerful platform in Brazil, the world’s fourth-largest democracy, with the election of…

October 29, 2018

Why South Korean and Japanese People Still Can’t (Legally) Smoke Weed in Canada

South Korean and Japanese people visiting or living in Canada will have to think twice about using cannabis–even though legalization…

October 23, 2018

Poll: Cannabis Legalization Support Tracks the Paths of Gay and Interracial Marriage

According to a new Gallup poll conducted at the beginning of October, more Americans than ever—66 percent—support cannabis legalization. The…

October 23, 2018

A Drug-Free World is “Unrealistic and Unachievable:” Report on the Past 10 Years of Global Drug Policy

On October 21, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDCP)—a global network of 177 NGOs—released Taking Stock: A Decade of Drug…

October 22, 2018

Cannabis Legalization in Canada Is a Giant, Imperfect Leap Forward

On October 16, a legal national market for cannabis opens in Canada, as a result of the Canadian Parliament’s June…

October 17, 2018

The First Searchable Database of Every DA Is Built to Limit Prosecutorial Power

Last week Color of Change—a nonprofit racial justice organization—launched a tool that no other group has yet managed to create:…

October 16, 2018

“No More Photo Ops”—NYC Activists Demand Legislators Take Responsibility for OD Crisis

Last year, for the first time in 11 years, black people had the highest rates of drug overdose in New…

October 16, 2018

Ohio Plans to Ban Kratom—And the DEA May Be Close Behind

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy (BOP) has proposed that the active compounds in kratom—a recreational herbal supplement—be classified as a Schedule…

October 12, 2018