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Drug Policy and Trends

Substance Use Harm Reduction
commentary
Strategies to Help Young Adults Limit Negative Consequences of Marijuana Use
Eric R. Pedersen @ericrpedersen
Feb 19, 2018
The RAND Blog
Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 have been shown to be the most prevalent and problematic users of marijuana. There are proven strategies that people can use to help protect themselves from experiencing harmful effects.
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Marijuana
commentary
How Will Cannabis Legalization Affect Alcohol Consumption?
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Rosanna Smart @RosannaSmart
Feb 13, 2018
GreenState (San Francisco Chronicle)
How will legalization of recreational marijuana affect alcohol consumption? Will drinking go down because people substitute cannabis for alcohol? Or will drinking go up because cannabis and alcohol complement each other? These questions have important implications.
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United States
blog
Trump's First State of the Union: Insights from RAND
Jan 31, 2018
RAND research, analysis, and expertise provide context for the issues discussed in the president's first State of the Union address, including infrastructure, North Korea, and opioids.
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Evidence Based Health Practice
commentary
Evidence-Based Treatments May Be Casualties of War on Drugs
Matthew Chinman, Joie D. Acosta
Jan 15, 2018
The Hill
U.S. schools and community organizations face a difficult battle to keep kids safe and drug-free. They need tools to help them choose programs that will work best for youth. The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices is such a tool, but its future is uncertain.
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Drug Policy and Trends
commentary
Is the EU Drugs Strategy Helping to Curb the Harm Caused by Drugs?
Emma Disley, Kristy Kruithof
Jan 9, 2018
E!Sharp
The EU Drugs Strategy takes a balanced approach to reduce drug demand, supply, and harm. All EU member states have a national drugs strategy, and most are aligned with the EU's. Having a coordinated voice on drug policy is valuable but is the strategy working?
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Smoking Cessation
commentary
Can Vaping Help Smokers Quit? The Real Story from a Real Story
William Shadel @william_shadel
Nov 16, 2017
BASIS
Evidence doesn't support using electronic cigarettes to quit smoking. In fact, doing so could even lead to reduced chances of quitting. Evidence does show that other options work, such as nicotine replacement patches or gum combined with counseling strategies.
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United States
blog
RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress
Aug 4, 2017
Hill staffers can make the most of the Congressional recess with this list of must-read research and commentary on the policy issues they will be addressing this fall.
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Drug Courts
commentary
Should California Drop Criminal Penalties for Drug Possession?
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Robert J. MacCoun
Jul 20, 2017
San Francisco Chronicle
Californians have a lot to consider when it comes to decriminalizing possession. But now is the time for a rigorous discussion about removing criminal penalties for drug possession, rather than rushing to judgment in the heat of a future election season.
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Cocaine
commentary
Mixed Messages: Is Cocaine Consumption in the U.S. Going Up or Down?
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Greg Midgette
Apr 28, 2017
Brookings - Up Front
Data lags and the elimination of the ADAM program complicate estimates of U.S. cocaine consumption. New users who haven't yet developed cocaine dependence are also a factor. It may be prudent to start planning for an increase in heavy use even before all of the evidence is in.
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Marijuana
commentary
The Future of Cannabis in the Netherlands
Stijn Hoorens @StijnHoorens
Feb 1, 2017
Volkskrant
The Netherlands should proceed cautiously in implementing any marijuana regulations, taking into account the models devised elsewhere and remembering that once enacted the rules will be difficult to change.
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Marijuana
commentary
Trump's Marijuana Options
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Jan 17, 2017
The Hill
The new administration has at least six options for addressing marijuana. These are not mutually exclusive, and each comes with tradeoffs. All six are compatible with a federal approach that encourages discussions about prohibition and its alternatives.
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Marijuana
commentary
The Legal Marijuana Middle Ground
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Dec 1, 2016
USA Today
There are many ways to legalize marijuana supply besides the for-profit approach. But to learn what effects various models have, the federal government will have to make it easier for states to implement some middle-ground options.
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Drug Courts
commentary
Drug Dependence: Treatment Over Incarceration
Matthew Davies, Emma Disley, Kristy Kruithof
Oct 3, 2016
Criminal Law & Justice Weekly
Drug dependence imposes significant costs to society and traditional criminal justice responses like imprisonment do not reduce crime. More quality research on alternative sanctions could help police, prosecutors, and judges expand their options while helping users get treatment.
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United States
essay
Election 2016: The Domestic Issues
Oct 3, 2016
RAND offers a unique take on the big domestic issues facing America: research that is independent, reliable, and rigorously nonpartisan.
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Parenting
commentary
What Your Kids Need to Know About Marijuana, Legalized or Not
Elizabeth J. D'Amico
Sep 21, 2016
Los Angeles Times
If you are a parent, no matter how you feel about legalizing marijuana, you need to be prepared to talk about the drug with your kids.
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Marijuana
q&a
Your Questions About Marijuana Legalization, Answered
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Sep 13, 2016
At least five states will vote on legal recreational marijuana this November. Drug policy expert Beau Kilmer hosted an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit to shed light on this and other issues.
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Drug Policy and Trends

Strategies to Help Young Adults Limit Negative Consequences of Marijuana Use

How Will Cannabis Legalization Affect Alcohol Consumption?

Trump's First State of the Union: Insights from RAND

Evidence-Based Treatments May Be Casualties of War on Drugs

Is the EU Drugs Strategy Helping to Curb the Harm Caused by Drugs?

Can Vaping Help Smokers Quit? The Real Story from a Real Story

RAND's Summer Reading List for Congress

Should California Drop Criminal Penalties for Drug Possession?

Mixed Messages: Is Cocaine Consumption in the U.S. Going Up or Down?

The Future of Cannabis in the Netherlands

Trump's Marijuana Options

The Legal Marijuana Middle Ground

Drug Dependence: Treatment Over Incarceration

Election 2016: The Domestic Issues

What Your Kids Need to Know About Marijuana, Legalized or Not

Your Questions About Marijuana Legalization, Answered

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