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The Drug Policy Alliance is the leading organization in the United States promoting alternatives to the war on drugs. On July 1, 2000, The Lindesmith Center merged with the Drug Policy Foundation to form the Alliance. Created in 1994, The Lindesmith Center was the first U.S. project of the Open Society Institute and the leading independent drug policy reform institute in the United States. The Drug Policy Foundation, founded in 1987, was the principal membership-based drug policy reform organization in the U.S. The Drug Policy Alliance now has offices in four states and Washington, D.C., and claims more than 25,000 members. Read about our recent accomplishments .
Donations to the Alliance are fully tax-deductible as allowed by law. Our 501(c)4 affiliate, the Drug Policy Alliance Network, engages in direct lobbying activities. Donations to the Drug Policy Alliance Network are not tax deductible. Click here for a link to the Alliance’s latest Form 990, the tax document we file every year with the IRS. It includes detailed and audited financial information about our organization. This link is provided by Guidestar, a national database of non-profit organizations.
OUR GOALS
We do not believe that there is an ultimate solution to our drug problems, but we do believe that there are steps that can and should be taken soon to reduce the harms associated with both drug use and our failed policies. These include:
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Making marijuana legally available for medical purposes;
Curtailing drug testing not related to detecting impairment;
Ending asset forfeiture abuses; Restoring constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures;
Redirecting most government drug control resources from criminal justice and interdiction to public health and education;
Supporting public health measures, notably syringe exchange and other harm reduction programs, to reduce HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other infectious diseases;
Supporting effective, science-based drug education and ending support for ineffective programs;
Making methadone maintenance and other effective drug treatment more accessible and available; Removing obstacles to proper use of opioid and other medications for treatment of pain and terminal disease; Repealing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses and ending incarceration for simple drug possession; Ending criminal penalties for marijuana, except those involving distribution of drugs to children; Ending invidious discrimination against people with past drug abuse problems or offenses; and Ending racially discriminatory drug policies and enforcement measures.
This statement of objectives and issues should not be regarded as comprehensive, but rather as suggested components of a drug policy based not upon fear, prejudice and punitive prohibitions but rather science, compassion, public health and human rights. You can read our vision/mission here .
Membership
Drug Policy Alliance is your voice to Congress, the media and the public. Your membership and support for the Alliance helps us persuade opinion leaders. Through our email updates , online action center , and quarterly newsletter and other publications, you will be kept up-to-date on the latest drug policy reform efforts throughout the US and around the world. Donate to the Drug Policy Alliance and become a member today!!