Bill Would Allow Judges to Order Probation and Community Based Services Rather than Jail Time for Some Drug Sale Charges Sacramento, CA—September 13, 2021— In the final hours of the legislative session, the California legislature voted to approve SB 73, legislation to end mandatory jail sentences for certain drug sale offenses. This would amend incarceration […]
New Proposal Puts Criminalization Before Public Health and Safety, Reinforces Harmful Trump-Era Policies that Disproportionately Impact People of Color, Lead to Mass Incarceration, and Cost Lives Washington, DC — In response to the recommendations presented to Congress by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and […]
Nominations of Chris Alexander & Tremaine Wright Demonstrate a Commitment to Equity and Racial Justice in New York’s Adult Use Marijuana Program New York, NY—September 1, 2021—In response to New York Governor Kathy Hochul today announcing the nominations of Chris Alexander for Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management and former Assembly member Tremaine […]
New York, NY – Today, in response to a disputed video from the San Diego County Sherriff’s Department purporting to show an officer overdosing from simply touching fentanyl, Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, released the following statement: “It is unconscionable and completely irresponsible for law enforcement organizations to continue fabricating false […]
If Passed by Congress, would be the First Time Syringe Services Programs are Explicitly Funded in a Federal Appropriations Bill Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed its FY22 Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) spending bill, which allocates $69.5 million—a 435% increase from the $13 million that was […]
Legislation Provides Major Opportunity to Make Marijuana Justice a Reality this Session, but Work Remains to Remove Drug Testing Provisions & Exclusionary Language that Would Continue to Deny Justice to Certain Individuals Washington, D.C.—In response to Senators Booker, Wyden and Schumer today unveiling a public draft of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act—their long-awaited Senate […]
In response to Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signing a bill passed by the legislature into law that authorizes a two-year pilot program to prevent drug overdoses through the establishment of “harm reduction centers” where people can consume pre-obtained substances under the supervision of trained staff, the Drug Policy Alliance released the following statement: “Today’s […]
Comprehensive Legalization Law is the First Step in Repairing the Harms of Prohibition that Has Devastated New Mexico Communities for Decades Santa Fe, NM – With the New Mexico Cannabis Regulation Act becoming law tomorrow, Tuesday, June 29, Emily Kaltenbach, Senior Director for Resident States and New Mexico for the Drug Policy Alliance, released the […]
Los Angeles, CA – In response to the Los Angeles City Council joining California State Senator Scott Wiener (San Francisco) today in support of SB 57—a bill to bring Overdose Prevention Programs to California—by passing a resolution authored by City Council Woman Nithya Raman, Jeannette Zanipatin, California State Director for the Drug Policy Alliance released […]
Washington, D.C. – Today, ahead of the 50th anniversary—on June 17—of when President Richard Nixon declared the “war on drugs,” Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Cori Bush (D-MO) unveiled the Drug Policy Reform Act (DPRA), alongside the Drug Policy Alliance, which has been a strategic partner on the development of the legislation. The bill […]
