drug policy

For decades, all research in federally funded laboratories had to use only marijuana grown at a single facility located in Oxford, Mississippi.

Scientists welcome new rules on marijuana, but research will still face obstacles

4:59pm May 06, 2024

by Rhitu Chatterjee

When marijuana becomes a Schedule III instead of a Schedule I substance under federal rules, researchers will face fewer barriers to studying it. But there will still be some roadblocks for science.

Matt Capelouto, whose daughter died from a fentanyl overdose, speaks at a news conference outside the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Capelouto is among dozens of protesters who called on the Assembly to hear fentanyl-related bills as tension mounts over how to address the fentanyl crisis. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)

In 2023 fentanyl overdoses ravaged the U.S. and fueled a new culture war fight

2:26pm December 28, 2023

Fentanyl fueled unprecedented carnage with 112,000 fatal overdoses. The nation is increasingly divided over how to respond.

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Test strips used to detect fentanyl and xylazine in street drugs, are seen at St. Ann's Corner of Harm Reduction in New York City on May 25, 2023. Overdose deaths involving xylazine have soared.

Deaths from xylazine are on the rise. The White House has a new plan to tackle it

8:04am July 11, 2023

by Deepa Shivaram

Deaths from overdoses of Xylazine-laced fentanyl have surged. The White House drug czar says he's marshalling efforts on testing, tracking, treatment, and stopping the spread.

During the War on Drugs, the Brownsville neighborhood in New York City saw some of the highest rates of incarceration in the U.S., as Black and Hispanic men were sent to prison for lengthy prison sentences, often for low-level, nonviolent drug crimes.

National

After 50 Years Of The War On Drugs, 'What Good Is It Doing For Us?'

11:37am June 17, 2021

by Brian Mann

President Nixon called for an "all-out offensive" against drugs and addiction. The U.S. is now rethinking policies that led to mass incarceration and shattered families while drug deaths kept rising.

President Biden speaks about the coronavirus pandemic in the State Dining Room of the White House on Tuesday.

National

With Biden Team Focused On Other Crises, Experts Say Drug Epidemic Is Exploding

2:40pm January 29, 2021

by Brian Mann

The Biden administration had Day One plans for the pandemic, economy and climate change. Experts say they haven't yet seen that same focus on the addiction crisis, which is killing 220 people a day.

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Education

New Rules Mean Vaping Now Considered Drug Violation In Forsyth County Schools

6:00am December 07, 2018

by Keri Brown

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has made some big changes to address the growing trend of vaping by students.

Colorado State Rep. Brittany Pettersen (right) is advocating for more treatment money for opioid addiction, in part because of the substance abuse struggles of her mother, Stacy (left).

States Seek More Federal Funding For Opioid Treatment, Not More Promises

11:33am March 01, 2018

The Trump administration has talked about prioritizing the opioid crisis, but states have seen little in the way of new resources. And, in some states, getting into treatment is becoming even harder.

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On Jan. 10, President Trump signed into law the bipartisan Interdict Act, to give federal agents more tools to curtail opioid trafficking. But, after declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency last fall, Trump has been slow to request money for

Trump Says He Will Focus On Opioid Law Enforcement, Not Treatment

11:20am February 08, 2018

by Greg Allen

Opioids are a public health emergency, the president says, but he hasn't acted on the White House opioid commission's recommendations to expand treatment.

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Burnout and low pay can make it tough to retain counselors in the field of addiction services. "You take on your clients' pain," explains one former counselor.

Shortage Of Addiction Counselors Further Strained By Opioid Epidemic

4:30pm February 24, 2016

by Emily Corwin

Counselors in the field of substance abuse rehabilitation earn roughly $40,000 a year, surveys show, and the work can be emotionally draining. Employee turnover is high, and likely to get worse.

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The drug sold as K2, spike, spice or "synthetic marijuana" may look like dried marijuana leaves. But it's really any of a combination of chemicals created in a lab that are then sprayed on dried plant material.

Surge In Use Of 'Synthetic Marijuana' Still One Step Ahead Of The Law

1:58pm November 12, 2015

by Hansi Lo Wang

Outlawing more than a dozen cannabinoids — chemicals concocted in labs and sprayed on leaves to create this risky street drug — hasn't stopped the problem. Chemists just make new versions.

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