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Drug Policy and Trends

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Keeping COVID-19 Vaccines Moving, the Capitol Attack, Media Literacy: RAND Weekly Recap
Jan 22, 2021
This weekly recap focuses on keeping COVID-19 vaccines moving to save more lives; why we need a national commission to investigate the U.S. Capitol attack; media literacy as a tool to counter "Truth Decay," and more.
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Veterans Health Care
blog
Veterans Day, Psychedelic Drug Policy, Family Caregivers: RAND Weekly Recap
Nov 13, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on supporting veterans with mental health and substance use disorders, changes to psychedelic drug policy, the vital role of family caregivers, and more.
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Controlled Substances and Illegal Drugs
commentary
Being Mindful About Changing Psychedelic Policy in California
Bryce Pardo @brycepardo, Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Nov 10, 2020
The Sacramento Bee
The question for California isn't really if psychedelic policy will change, but more likely how—and how quickly. Now is the time for the California State Legislature to consider holding hearings on psychedelics and creating a commission to assess regulatory options.
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Civic Education
blog
Truth Decay, Opioid Settlement Funds, Veterans Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap
Oct 23, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on fighting back against Truth Decay, how to spend opioid settlement funds, China's lack of friends, and more.
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Information Operations
blog
How Russia Targets U.S. Elections, Black Workers and COVID-19, TikTok: RAND Weekly Recap
Oct 2, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on how Russia targets U.S. elections, Americans' increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, Black workers and COVID-19, and more.
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Marijuana
commentary
Don't Entangle COVID-19 Relief with Cannabis Legalization
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Aug 28, 2020
Philadelphia Inquirer
Cannabis legalization is a multifaceted decision that has implications for health, safety, and social equity. Whether legalization could fund COVID-19 relief should not be a major focus of debates.
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Substance Use Harm Reduction
commentary
Revoking the 'License to Drink': Emerging Evidence on Mandatory Sobriety
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Gregory Midgette
Jun 29, 2020
Institute of Alcohol Studies
After counties in South Dakota implemented a 24/7 sobriety program, repeat arrests for impaired driving decreased in the counties by an average of 12%. North Dakota implemented a similar program and also saw decreases in impaired driving. Can the same results be achieved outside of the Dakotas?
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
A Message from Our President and CEO, America's Wealth Gap, Disinformation: RAND Weekly Recap
Jun 5, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on doing more to address systemic inequalities and structural racism, paying the bills during COVID-19, America's growing wealth gap, and more.
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Women's Health
commentary
Do We Know How to Treat Alcohol Misuse in Women?
Kristie L. Gore, Sydne Newberry, Susanne Hempel
Apr 29, 2020
The RAND Blog
Despite the many clinical trials that have demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of treatments for alcohol use disorder, we still know little about whether men and women respond differently to treatment. Without knowing whether recommended treatments are effective for women, women are vulnerable to the consequences of alcohol misuse.
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commentary
Beyond Bans: How Cannabis Policy Reform Can Reduce Vaping-Related Illnesses
Amanda Mauri, Rebecca Lee Haffajee
Mar 27, 2020
Health Affairs Blog
Policymakers can wield a multitude of tools to address vaping-related illness. Cannabis policy reform is one option. But policymakers may face challenges in balancing comprehensive regulatory design that promotes product safety with its potential to bolster the illegal and unregulated market.
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Drug Policy and Trends
commentary
Want to Know If a New Drug Crisis Is Growing? Check the Wastewater
Bryce Pardo @brycepardo, Debra Knopman
Mar 26, 2020
Scientific American
Few people foresaw how quickly fentanyl would displace heroin, doubling or tripling opioid overdose deaths in some pockets of the United States from 2013 to 2017. But we could have been warned—if only we'd checked our wastewater.
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Russia
blog
Russian Subversion, Truth Decay, Supervised Drug Consumption Sites: RAND Weekly Recap
Feb 28, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on responding to Russian subversion, how the media can help fight Truth Decay, the first supervised drug consumption site in the United States, artificial intelligence, and more.
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Russia
blog
New START, Trump's Middle East Peace Plan, New Tobacco Products: RAND Weekly Recap
Feb 21, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on why the United States should extend the New START agreement, Trump's Middle East peace plan, new tobacco products, and more.
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Maternal Health
blog
Infectious Diseases, Zimbabwe, Students with Disabilities: RAND Weekly Recap
Feb 14, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on the U.S. response to infectious diseases, Zimbabwe after Mugabe, the support for students with disabilities, and more.
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Politics and Government
blog
State of the Union 2020: Insights from RAND
Feb 5, 2020
The final State of the Union address of President Trump's four-year term may be viewed through the lens of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the evening. But the speech touched on a range of policy challenges that will remain, regardless of how politics play out in 2020.
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Substance Abuse
commentary
Policies That Punish Pregnant Women for Substance Use Don't Help Mother or Baby
Laura J. Faherty @LauraFahertyMD
Jan 28, 2020
Tennessee Justice Center
About half of all U.S. states now have policies that criminalize substance use during pregnancy, consider it grounds for civil commitment, or consider it child abuse or neglect. But research suggests that punitive policies aren't beneficial for infants or their mothers.
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