Drug Policy Reform
Drug policies based on prohibition have fueled violence and corruption, often with devastating impacts on the health and well-being of drug users and the wider community. The Open Society Foundations support groups that put forward alternatives.
Rural Rights
Broken Promises in Colombia's Coca Fields
A program to help coca growers find new legal ways to make a living has largely failed to deliver. Disillusioned farmers now need the government to hold up its end of the bargain.
Racial Injustice
The Uncounted Victims of the War on Drugs
It’s time for policymakers, civil society, and the public at large to have a serious conversation about the racialization of antidrug policy. Getting reliable data is a crucial first step.
EVENT RECAP
How Racism and Inequality Are Influencing the Rise of Legalized Cannabis in the United States
As the legal cannabis industry in the United States continues its explosive growth, a new documentary raises challenging but vital questions about the interaction between drug policy, racism, mass incarceration, and justice.
REMEMBERING MARIELLE
Q&A: Marielle Franco’s Enduring Legacy
Marielle Franco’s sister, Anielle, remembers her sister, her work for a better Brazil, and her legacy of fighting for marginalized women and girls.
Ending mass incarceration
What a Soccer Star Teaches Us About Criminal Justice
Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the World Cup–winning U.S. women’s soccer team, told a story about her brother’s struggles with addiction and incarceration. Here’s what we can learn from his story—and why prison breeds violence rather than making communities safer.
Keep Families Together
We Must Not Forget the Children of the Incarcerated
As a new report shows, draconian anti-drug policies in Latin America don’t just harm people who use or sell substances; they harm the children and families of the incarcerated, too. Thankfully, there’s a better way.
End the Drug War
Reframing the Blame for the War on Drugs
The war on drugs is better understood as a war on people. To stop this useless and unjust destruction, we must change how we think—and talk—about people who use drugs.
Voices
The Consequences of Rising Female Incarceration Rates in Latin America
Punitive drug laws are the driving force behind women’s imprisonment, but two organizations are working together to reverse the trend.