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Anyone interested in the legalization of marijuana soon discovers that drug
policy reform of any kind is a complicated issue. One sure thing, though, is
that accurate information remains one of the most persuasive and powerful
tools available to reformers. The key to getting accurate information is,
whenever possible, to go to the source.
Here are fifty links to valuable background information on marijuana and
drug policy reform. While collected primarily for students and activists
these sites also provide interesting data, articles, commentary, and
analysis for the general public. These links fall into four broad
categories, providing sources for data, analysis, legal and public policy
context, and background on non-profit organization management. They contain
valuable information for the serious reformer as well as interesting
perspectives for interested observer.
-Jon Gettman, Ph.D
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The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
This federal agency coordinates federal drug policy and programs; it is the
primary source for government analysis of drug policy issues and
developments.
FirstGov
www.firstgov.gov
This portal provides access to every federal agency and important
government programs.
Annual National Drug Control Strategy Report
www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
This annual report analyzes progress in achieving the policy objectives of
the Administration and the Congress, and generally makes a case for how the
government is winning the war on drugs.
National Drug Intelligence Center
www.usdoj.gov
The Bush Administration has eliminated funding for this agency, however it
is currently "the nation's principal center for strategic domestic
counterdrug intelligence." This is an excellent source for government
analysis of trends in key policy indicators such as availability and demand.
Federal Data Sources
www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov
This portal from ONDCP provides access to the original source data used to
evaluate federal drug policy, including survey data on drug use, emergency
room visits, drug treatment admissions, and other key indicators of policy
performance.
Informing America's Policy on Illegal Drugs: What We Don't Know Keeps
Hurting Us
http://books.nap.edu/
This book from the National Research Council provides important background
information on the data used to evaluate drug policy as well as valuable
critiques of its use in drug policy analysis. This is an essential guide to
the use of federal data sources by drug policy analysts and to critical
evaluation of claims of drug policy success. The National Academy Press
(NAP) provides on-line access to this and other publications.
College on the Problems of Drug Dependence
www.cpdd.vcu.edu
See what the nation's experts on drugs, pharmacology, and addiction think
of national drug policy. Marijuana legalization will require the support of
these professionals. Advocates of marijuana legalization need to understand
how to appeal to the interests and concerns of professionals in this field.
RAND Drug Policy Research Center
www.rand.org
This is one of the nation's most prominent and respected drug policy
think-tanks. Drug policy reformers need to persuade this academic community
of the merits of their proposals in order for the public to take them
seriously. As with the example above, advocates of marijuana legalization
need to understand how to effectively communicate this field of
professionals. RAND affiliated analysts are frequently consulted by Congress
on drug policy issues.
Dispelling the Myths About Addiction: Strategies to Increase Understanding
and Strengthen Research
http://books.nap.edu/
This NAP title is available on-line and provides excellent background on
how the scientific community views addiction and dependency.
Pathways of Addiction: Opportunities in Drug Abuse Research
http://books.nap.edu/
This NAP title contains a superb discussion distinguishing drug use, abuse,
and dependency.
The Biological Basis for Substance Abuse and Addiction
www.wws.princeton.edu
This report was prepared for Congress in the early 1990s and provides a
good introduction to the biological basis for drug dependency.
Technologies for Understanding and Preventing Substance Abuse and Addiction
www.wws.princeton.edu
This report was prepared for Congress in the mid 1990s and provides a solid
introduction to all of the issues involved in drug policy and the various
policy options available for policy makers, including both prohibition and
public health models.
Drug Control Policies in the United States: Historical Perspectives
www.wws.princeton.edu
A short history of drug policy in the United States contained in the above
report.
TRAC-DEA
www.trac.syr.edu
This Syracuse University program is a source for comprehensive independent,
and nonpartisan information about the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The Legal Information Institute of the Cornell University Law School
www.law.cornell.edu
This portal provides access to the statutes and court decisions that make
up US law.
Robinson v. California
www.oyez.org
This is probably the most important legal decision about drug policy in
United States law. In Robinson v. California the Supreme Court ruled that it
was cruel and unusual punishment to make drug addiction a crime in the
United States. Listen to the Oral Arguments in this historic Supreme Court
case and read the opinion of the Court.
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
www.access.gpo.gov
These are the laws that govern the marketing and sale of drugs in the
United States. Under existing law, if rescheduled by the DEA medical
cannabis will governed by these federal statutes requiring extensive
clinical trials before a drug can be approved for marketing as a safe and
effective treatment for any medical condition.
Controlled Substances Act
www.access.gpo.gov
These are the laws that govern the production and distribution of medical
cannabis. Marijuana is currently classified as a Schedule I drug, restricted
for research use only. These laws provide a basis for changing that
classification, a process known as rescheduling.
National Drug Control Policy
www.access.gpo.gov
These laws describe the requirements for the Office of National Drug
Control Strategy and its annual report.
The United States House of Representatives
www.house.gov
Learn how to contact your Congressional Representative and how this house
of the legislature functions.
The United States Senate
www.senate.gov
Learn how to contact your U.S. Senator and how the Senate functions.
THOMAS
www.thomas.loc.gov
Use this service of the Library of Congress to monitor marijuana-related
legislation in the U.S. Congress.
Federal Contract and Funding Announcements
www.fedbizopps.gov
Follow the money! Apply for Federal Funding! Here is where you can learn
more about the flow of federal funds to independent contractors and
non-governmental organizations.
Uniform Crime Reports County Data
www.fisher.lib.virginia.edu
This University of Virginia web server provides access to county level data
on marijuana and other arrests.
Bureau of Justice Statistics
www.ojp.usdoj.gov
Information and data about the criminal justice system at the local, state,
and federal level.
Bureau of Justice Statistics: Expenditure and Employment Statistics
www.ojp.usdoj.gov
This link provides access to data on the costs of law enforcement, the
court system, and the correctional system.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive
www.icpsr.umich.edu
This site provides visitors with the capability to conduct on-line analysis
of data from important national surveys, such as the National Survey on Drug
Use and Health. Some training in statistical analysis will be helpful in
utilizing this service.
Inter-University Consortium for Political and Scientific Research
www.icpsr.umich.edu
This is the primary source for social science and political datasets. For
example the dataset used by the University of Virginia server for arrest
data can be obtained from this source. Formal training in statistical
analysis and the use of related software packages is required to utilize the
datasets available from this source.
State and Local Government on the Net
www.statelocalgov.net
This portal provides access to every state government website.
National Conference of State Legislators
www.ncsl.org
This is an excellent source of information on the issues before state
legislatures. This source provides an opportunity to learn more about what
cannabis reform legislation must compete with at the state level, as well as
the overall legislative and policy environment in any specific state.
State Budget and Tax Issues
www.ncsl.org
This report will provide background on the financial pressures faced by
state governments, pressures that may be alleviated in many areas by the
decriminalization of marijuana and/or other reforms.
State Legislatures
www.ncsl.org
This portal provides access to every state legislature. Learn who your
state legislators are and how your legislature functions.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
www.unodc.org
Here is the source for information on the global war on drugs.
United Nations World Drug Report
www.unodc.org
This annual report estimates drug production and consumption around the
world as well as reports on enforcement trends.
United Nations: Drug Control Conventions
www.unodc.org
These are the international treaties that attempt to enforce a global
prohibition on opium, coca, cannabis, and other drugs.
UNESCO: Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Discussion Paper #44
www.unesco.org
The Relationship between Research and Drug Policy in the United States by
Laurent Laniel. An interesting discussion of US drug policy by an
international observer.
Marijuana and Medicine, Assessing the Science Base
http://books.nap.edu/
This is the landmark report by the Institute of Medicine on medical
cannabis.
Marijuana as Medicine: The Science Beyond the Controversy
http://books.nap.edu/
This is a follow-up report on medical cannabis from the National Academy
Press.
Analysis of Marijuana Policy
http://books.nap.edu/
This 1982 report by the National Academy of Sciences recommends that
prohibition be abandoned and replaced with a regulatory system. It is a
classic example of drug policy analysis that is still relevant today.
American Journal of Public Health
www.ajph.org
This journal has published many important articles on marijuana use and its
relationship to the use of other illegal drugs. This journal represents
another audience that reform advocates must persuade in order to be
successful.
National Library of Medicine
www.ajph.org
This is the premier web site in the United States for information on health
and medicine.
PubMed
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
This server from the National Library of Medicine provides citations and
abstracts for biomedical articles. Descriptions of almost all
cannabis-related research are available through this source.
Guidestar
www.guidestar.org
This is a national database on nonprofit organizations and their financial
reports. Learn how pro- and anti- reform groups spend their money.
Quality990
www.qual990.org
This website explains how nonprofits can improve their federal financial
reports as well as background information for members of the public
researching the financial reports of non-profits organizations.
National Center for Charitable Statistics
www.nccsdataweb.urban.org
This organization provides background on the standards and practices of
financial reporting for charities and other non-profit organizations. Learn
here how pro- and anti-reform groups should be reporting on their finances
and agendas.
FirstGov for Non-Profits
www.firstgov.gov
This is a federal government web site providing access to resources for
non-profits, including summaries of federal reporting requirements.
Tax Information for Charities and other Non-Profits
www.irs.ustreas.gov
More information on financial disclosure requirements for non-profit
advocacy groups.
FAQs About Exempt Organization Disclosure Requirements
www.irs.gov
This Internal Revenue Service website explains the obligations of
non-profit organizations to disclose their financial reports to both the
government and the public.
The Foundation Center
www.fdncenter.org
Find out where to get funding for your non-profit community service or
advocacy organization. The Foundation Directory, published by the Foundation
Center, is available in many public libraries.
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