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.
In Their Own Words
Farmers in Myanmar Call for Justice
A new report, produced by opium farmers themselves, highlights the urgent need to reform an antidrug policy regime that all too often leaves families vulnerable to coercion, corruption, and brutal exploitation.
Public Health First
Incarceration Should Not Be a Death Sentence
Despite earlier promises to fight the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of nonviolent offenders in jails and prisons, governments worldwide are dragging their feet and prioritizing the drug war ahead of public health.
Event Recap
How Authoritarianism Fuels the War on Drugs
While the world’s attention has shifted to the COVID-19 pandemic, the harms and injustices of the “war on drugs” are not only continuing; they’re being intensified. What can civil society reformers do in response?
EVENT RECAP
How Can We Help the Children of Incarcerated Parents?
Some of the most neglected victims of the war on drugs are the families and children of those who are incarcerated because of nonviolent drug offenses. A new report outlines the problem and presents research-driven solutions.
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.