Illegal Drugs

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Helping Communities Identify and Develop Effective Drug Policies

The RAND Drug Policy Research Center (DPRC) helps community leaders and public officials develop more effective ways of dealing with drug problems. DPRC provides a firm, empirical foundation on which sound drug policies can be built.

All Items (104)

Journal Article

Can Tobacco Control Endgame Analysis Learn Anything from the U.S. Experience with Illegal Drugs? — May 1, 2013

The goals of tobacco control endgame strategies are specified in terms of the desired levels of tobacco use and/or tobacco related health consequences.

Blog

Ask Me Anything: Beau Kilmer Answers Drug Policy Questions on Reddit — Apr 26, 2013

rally to legalize marijuana

Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and coauthor of Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, hosted an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Reddit this week. He fielded questions from participants on a variety of drug policy issues.

Commentary

7 Key Questions on Marijuana Legalization — Apr 25, 2013

Visuals showing suppprt for marijuana legalization in Washington state and how tax revenues will benefit the community

Policymakers in Washington and Colorado are confronting some new and tricky issues that have never been addressed. For them, and for anyone else thinking about changing their pot laws, there are seven key decision areas that will shape the costs and benefits of marijuana legalization.

Journal Article

Risk Behaviors Among HIV-Positive Gay and Bisexual Men at Party-Oriented Vacations — Dec 28, 2012

HIV-positive men who have sex with men attending party-oriented vacation events engaged in higher rates of illegal drug use and sexual risk than HIV-negative men.

Journal Article

Drugs and Alcohol PBR Pilot Evaluation: Scoping and Feasibility Report — Nov 1, 2012

The purpose of the PbR Pilots is to develop and test out new approaches to the commissioning and delivery of drugs and alcohol recovery systems that reward achievement of this outcome.

News Release

The Illicit Drug Landscape in the U.S and Paths for Future Efforts — Sep 18, 2012

The nature of the American drug problem has changed substantially over the last 20 years. It is now less of a crime problem illustrated by drug market violence and more of a health problem with higher rates of morbidity and mortality, and a criminal justice problem of burdensome incarceration rates.

Report

Insights and Opportunities for Improving U.S. Drug Policy — Sep 18, 2012

The nature of the American drug problem has changed substantially over the last 20 years. It is now less of a crime problem illustrated by drug market violence and more of a health problem with higher rates of morbidity and mortality, and a criminal justice problem of burdensome incarceration rates.

Report

Introduction to BRIGHT: A Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Clients with Alcohol and Substance Use Problems (set of 5 DVDs) — Aug 15, 2012

This DVD set presents demonstrations of techniques, strategies, and exercises used in the BRIGHT (Building Recovery by Improving Goals, Habits, and Thoughts) group therapy for individuals with co-occurring alcohol and drug use problems.

Past Event

Marijuana Legalization: What We Know and What We Don't — Jul 17, 2012

This November, voters in multiple states will be asked to consider propositions concerning decriminalization and legalization of marijuana. Join RAND experts for a panel discussion on marijuana laws and policies at both the state and federal level.

Multimedia

Marijuana Legalization: What We Know and What We Don't — Jul 17, 2012

In this July 2012 Congressional Briefing, researchers from the RAND Drug Policy Research Center discuss marijuana legalization, how it differs from decriminalization, its possible consequences, and federal response to state initiatives.

Commentary

Can Marijuana Use Lead to Dependence or Addiction? — Jul 12, 2012

Someone who uses cocaine every other day or more often is probably cocaine dependent; someone who uses marijuana every other day or more often is probably not cannabis dependent. In this regard, marijuana resembles alcohol more than it does the "hard" drugs.

Journal Article

A Search-Theoretic Model of the Retail Market for Illicit Drugs — Jul 1, 2012

How legalizing marijuana would affect consumption and tax revenues will depend on many design choices including tax level, incentives for a continued black market, whether advertising is restricted, and how the regulatory system is designed and adjusted.

Report

Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know — Jun 20, 2012

This book provides a non-partisan primer on the topic of whether marijuana should be legalized, covering everything from the risks and benefits of using marijuana, to describing the current laws around the drug in the United States and abroad.

Journal Article

Change Is Possible: The History of the International Drug Control Regime and Implications for Future Policymaking — Jun 1, 2012

The article reconstructs and analyzes the parallel evolution of the international drug control regime and the world opiate market, assessing the impact of the former on the latter until the rise of present-day mass markets.

Periodical

Regulatory Regime Key in Shaping Impact of Marijuana Legalization — May 11, 2012

Marijuana legalization will be on the ballot in at least two U.S. states in November 2012, and it is the subject of serious debate in a growing number of countries. When it comes to understanding the consequences of legalization, the devil is in the details of how the regulatory regime is designed.

Commentary

The Marijuana Exception — Apr 20, 2012

Being honest about the uncertainties involved is the price of admission to any serious discussion about marijuana legalization, writes Beau Kilmer.

Report

Evaluating the Implementation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005-2012 — Apr 9, 2012

Illicit drug use continues to be an important public health and safety concern in Europe. An evaluation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005–12 and Action Plans examines the implementation, relevance, and influence of the Strategy and its added value for Member States and at EU level.

Journal Article

Scheduling of Newly Emerging Drugs: A Critical Review of Decisions Over 40 Years — Apr 1, 2012

This study seeks to assess more comprehensively the results of decisions on whether and how to 'schedule' (i.e. to determine their legal status and penalties to be applied for sale or possession) newly emerging drugs.

Journal Article

Momentary Effects of Exposure to Prosmoking Media on College Students' Future Smoking Risk — Feb 1, 2012

This study used ecological momentary assessment to examine acute changes in college students' future smoking risk as a function of their exposure to prosmoking media (e.g., smoking in movies, paid advertising, point-of-sale displays).

Journal Article

What Oregon's Parity Law Can Tell Us About the Federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and Spending on Substance Abuse Treatment Services — Feb 1, 2012

Oregon's experience suggests that behavioral health insurance parity that places restrictions on how plans manage the benefit may lead to increases in expenditures for alcohol treatment services but is unlikely to lead to increases in spending for other drug abuse treatment services.

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