Welcome to the RAND Drug Policy Research Center

Providing decisionmakers with rigorous, nonpartisan research on substance use and drug policy

Since 1989, the RAND Drug Policy Research Center has conducted research to help decisionmakers in the United States and throughout the world address issues involving alcohol and other drugs. In doing so, the Center brings an objective and data-driven perspective to this often emotional and fractious policy arena.

Celebrating a Milestone in Drug Policy Research

Research Highlights

Recent Commentaries

Beyond Bans: How Cannabis Policy Reform Can Reduce Vaping-Related Illnesses
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.
Want to Know If a New Drug Crisis Is Growing? Check the Wastewater
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.
Fentanyl: The Most Dangerous Illegal Drug in America
America's fentanyl crisis is unlike previous drug epidemics and is likely to get worse. Deaths involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have surged from around 3,000 in 2013 to more than 30,000 in 2018. Solving the problem requires innovative approaches and unprecedented resources.
Where Science Says to Spend Any U.S. Opioid Settlement Money
A global settlement with pharmaceutical companies has started to appear more and more likely. Even with billions of dollars, the settlement resources won't be unlimited. To avoid mistakes made in the tobacco master settlement agreement, any opioid funds must be carefully allocated.
What Will the Opioid Crisis Look Like in Five Years?
Despite variations in European opioid markets, there is an overarching commonality too: Once a synthetic opioid like fentanyl becomes dominant, it stays that way. The United States should prepare for fentanyl and other synthetic opioids as a lasting phenomenon. Learning from other countries' experiences is an important part of that effort.
Tackle Fentanyl like a Poisoning Outbreak, Not a Drug Epidemic
America's fentanyl problem is far deadlier than past crises with other illegal drugs. New ideas, be they public policies, technologies or law enforcement strategies, are desperately needed. Continuing to treat fentanyl just like previous drug epidemics will likely be insufficient and may condemn thousands more to early deaths.
China's Ban on Fentanyl Drugs Won't Likely Stem America's Opioid Crisis
Given China's recent decision to ban the unauthorized manufacture of fentanyl, authorities there appear to recognize a growing problem. But China cannot solve the U.S. opioid problem. The United States could do more to reduce demand for opioids as well as drug users' exposure to these powerful drugs.
(Grey's) Anatomy of an Opioid Crisis
More than 130 Americans die every day after overdosing on opioids. So when one of the most popular shows on TV made opioid misuse a major plotline, RAND experts paid attention to how it presented this public health crisis. The show mirrored reality pretty closely, for the narrow slice of the opioid crisis it addressed.
A Holistic Approach to Solving the Opioid Crisis
While federal, state and, local governments deploy strategies to tackle the opioid crisis, the problem continues to proliferate. RAND researchers suggest that these strategies fail to solve the larger problem because they've largely been developed in silos. The opioid crisis is an ecosystem, and mitigating the problem will require a holistic approach.
In Opioid Policy, One Size Does Not Fit All
To solve America's opioid crisis, policymakers will need to view the epidemic as an “ecosystem,” where policies that target only one part of the problem can have unintended consequences.
How Will Cannabis Legalization Affect Alcohol Consumption?
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.
Another Barrier to Evidence-Based Drug Prevention and Treatment?
U.S. schools and community organizations face a difficult battle to reduce youth substance use and they need tools to help them choose programs that will work best for their youth.
Is the EU Drugs Strategy Helping to Curb the Harm Caused by Drugs?
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?
Should California Drop Criminal Penalties for Drug Possession?
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.

Browse All Drug Policy and Trends Commentary

RAND DPRC Research Making an Impact

Evolution of the U.S. Overdose Crisis

Bryce Pardo testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations on the role of synthetic opioids in the U.S. overdose crisis.

Funding to Address the Opioid Epidemic

Rosalie Pacula testified before the House Appropriations Committee about the evidence and effectiveness of different drug policy strategies for addressing the opioid epidemic.

L.A. Holds Hearing on Proposed Cannabis Advertising Restrictions

Citing research by Liz D'Amico and a host of other RAND researchers, the City of Los Angeles is proposing an ordinance that recommends restricting cannabis advertising near schools and other "sensitive locations," including alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities, public libraries, public parks, schools, and residentially zoned property.

Cannabis Legislation in Canada

Beau Kilmer provided testimony to the Canadian legislature on different alternatives to prohibition, including considerations for prices, taxes, and international implications.

Medical Marijuana Policy in Florida

Rosalie Pacula testified before the Florida House of Representatives Health & Human Services Committee on medical marijuana regulation, including topics of supply structure, commercialization, and potential impact on youth.