Drug Policy Alliance

Drug Policy Alliance
Established2000 Edit this on Wikidata (24 years ago)
Legal status501(c)(3) organization Edit this on Wikidata
HeadquartersNew York City Edit this on Wikidata
CountryUnited States Edit this on Wikidata
Revenue16,545,395 United States dollar (2021) Edit this on Wikidata
Total Assets19,983,663 United States dollar (2021) Edit this on Wikidata
Websitewww.drugpolicy.org Edit this on Wikidata

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization that seeks to advance policies that "reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition, and to promote the sovereignty of individuals over their minds and bodies".[1] The organization prioritizes reducing the role of criminalization in drug policy, advocating for the legal regulation of marijuana, and promoting health-centered drug policies.

History

The Drug Policy Alliance was formed when the Drug Policy Foundation and the Lindesmith Center merged in July 2000. Lindesmith Center founder. Ethan Nadelmann served as its first Executive Director. From October 2017, it was led by Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno.[2] Since September 2020, it has been led by executive director Kassandra Frederique.[3]

Main issues

DPA booth at a 2012 conference

Drug war

DPA believes that the War on drugs in America has failed. They present the argument that the United States has spent billions of dollars on making the country drug-free, but many illicit drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and many others, are more potent and prevalent than ever before.[4][5][6]

Communities affected

DPA believes that the war on drugs does not affect all of the American population the same way, and that some communities are disproportionately affected.[7][8]

Results

In 2020, DPA's advocacy and political arm, Drug Policy Action, spearheaded the passage of the Oregon Ballot Measure 110, which made Oregon the first state in the nation to decriminalize drug possession while significantly expanding access to evidence-informed, culturally responsive treatment, harm reduction and other health services.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "About Us". Drug Policy Alliance. Archived from the original on September 4, 2007. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Derek Rosenfeld (October 4, 2017). "Meet DPA's New Executive Director, Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno". Drug Policy Alliance. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  3. ^ Schiller, Melissa. "Drug Policy Alliance Board Announces Kassandra Frederique as Next Executive Director". Cannabis Business Times.
  4. ^ Abuse, National Institute on Drug. "Nationwide Trends". www.drugabuse.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  5. ^ Crawford, Alejandro (July 13, 2015). "What Have We Been Smoking?". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  6. ^ Porter, Eduardo (July 3, 2012). "Numbers Tell of Failure in the War on Drugs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  7. ^ Bowling, Ben; Phillips, Coretta (November 1, 2007). "Disproportionate and Discriminatory: Reviewing the Evidence on Police Stop and Search". The Modern Law Review. 70 (6): 936–961. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2230.2007.00671.x. ISSN 1468-2230. S2CID 23235460.
  8. ^ "The Drug War is the New Jim Crow". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  9. ^ "Oregon 1st in US to soften on hard drugs, 'magic' mushrooms". AP News. November 4, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2022.