Drug Decriminalization: From Punitive Policies to Effective Solutions

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Across the United States, state legislatures are considering a return to ineffective, punitive drug policies, a perpetuation of Richard Nixon’s 52-year-old War on Drugs.

In New Jersey, where officials have spent one billion dollars fighting the failed drug war, lawmakers have introduced legislation to enhance penalties around fentanyl, though the harsh policies already in place have not proven successful in addressing the worsening overdose crisis.

Maryland legislators have chosen to keep drug paraphernalia criminalized, despite evidence that illegality creates barriers to safer use practices and perpetuates numerous drug-related harms.

In Maine, policymakers are attempting to roll back protections offered by their state’s Good Samaritan Law, which offers lifesaving legal immunity to those who call for help and those present at the scene of an overdose.

Open Society is working with our partners to bring awareness to the damages perpetuated by the failed policies of the War on Drugs. In this discussion, policy experts explore the benefits of diverting resources from penalties for people who use drugs toward investing them in harm reduction services that are proven to directly benefit the communities they serve.