Session Descriptions

We are pleased to announce the sessions featured at the 2009 International Drug Policy Reform conference. Please note that programming is subject to change.

Conference Session Descriptions By Topic (Select topic name for more information)

Marijuana

International

Hot Topics

Criminal Justice

Harm Reduction

Trainings

Movement Building

New Mexico & the Southwest

Psychedelics

Youth


Wednesday, November 11

 

8:00 - 5:00 pm

Preconference Workshop: Principles and Practices of Harm Reduction Therapy (back to top)

This full day training will enhance clinicians' ability to integrate harm reduction therapy into their mental health and/or substance abuse practices. Principles and models will be presented followed by a series of skills building segments, including the role of trauma in substance misuse, harm reduction therapy in group work, working with families and friends of drug users, and harm reduction in community-based settings. Topics that will be covered in these segments include working with marginalized clients, coerced treatment, harm reduction within communities of color, ethical guidelines, private practice settings, managing our own feelings, and somatic approaches.

 

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Meet and Greet

 

Thursday, November 12

 

8:30 - 9:30 am

Continental breakfast/registration

 

9:30-10:45 am

WELCOME and OPENING PLENARY SESSION (back to top)

Drug Policy Alliance Executive Director Ethan Nadelmann and President Ira Glasser will welcome conference attendees, with special guest New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.

 

11:00 – 3:00 pm

Help Out New Mexico: Harm Reduction in Action

Come help out New Mexico and meet the stars of the Department of Health (DOH) who make New Mexico’s harm reduction programs the model for the nation. The “harm reduction in action” service project will allow attendees to make overdose prevention and other public health kits that will be distributed to clients across the state. This is your chance to give back to New Mexico during your visit and learn about some of our innovative programs here in the Land of Enchantment! This event is open to the public.

 

11:00 – 12:30 pm

Sessions

 

Marijuana Decriminalization and the State Legislative Process [panel] (back to top)

The past few years have seen a wave of marijuana decriminalization legislation proposed in states such as Connecticut, Montana, Vermont, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Washington. What are the essential elements of effective state marijuana decriminalization laws?  What are some of the pros and cons of decriminalization – which generally provides for a civil fine and ticket rather than arrest – as opposed to tax-and-regulate schemes? Since relatively few people are arrested for marijuana possession under federal law, this session will primarily cover state and local laws. However, panelists will also touch on the future of marijuana decriminalization and legalization efforts in Congress. 

Moderator: Aaron Houston, Director of Government Relations, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington DC

  • Alison Holcomb, Drug Policy Director, ACLU of Washington, Seattle, WA
  • Lorenzo Jones, Executive Director, A Better Way Foundation, Hartford, CT
  • Whitney Taylor, Executive Director, New England Policy Advocates
  • Mason Tvert, Executive Director, SAFER, Denver, CO  

 

Abstinence, Recovery, and Harm Reduction [roundtable] (back to top)

This discussion will address the role of people in recovery in drug policy reform work as well as the challenges of bridging abstinence-based work with harm reduction. What impact does language have on the ability of people to build partnerships between the recovery community and harm reduction advocates? How can we overcome stigma, judgment, and division among people in recovery, harm reduction advocates, and the clients they serve? Why do people in recovery and harm reduction advocates often exclude each other from strategic conversations and policy debates?

 Facilitator: Wyndi Anderson, Board Member, Choice USA, Abortion Access Project

  • Ron Harris, Board Member, Different Avenues, Washington, DC
  • Howard Josepher, Founder and Executive Director, Exponents, New York , NY
  • Meghan Ralston, Harm Reduction Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
  • Christine Wendel, Chair, New Mexico Behavioral Health Council, Santa Fe, NM

 

Engaging Law Enforcement [training] (back to top)

Law enforcement practices and policies continue to pose a challenge for syringe exchange programs and participants across the country. Many agencies struggle to maintain syringe exchange program integrity, protect participants’ rights to safe syringe access, increase effective dialogue with law enforcement and ultimately effect legislation reflective of the injecting drug user’s basic right to safely access culturally appropriate health care. Explore how to engage and build relationships with police officers, share lessons learned and discuss persistent barriers and potential strategies to address them.

Presenter: Narelle Ellendon, Syringe Access Expansion Coordinator, Harm Reduction Coalition

 

 

Supervised Injection Facilities: In the United States? [roundtable](back to top)

What would it take to open a supervised injection facility (SIF) in the United States? A SIF is a safe location where individuals can inject drugs using sterile equipment under medical supervision. Scientific evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that SIFs reduce overdose, disease transmission, and unsafe injection practices. SIFs have a proven track record around the world, with over 65 facilities in eight countries, including Canada.

Why is there such resistance to opening one in the U.S.? What lessons can advocates in the U.S. learn from their colleagues in Canada? What are the political, legal, and practical hurdles to getting it done in the US and how do we address them? And what are the next steps toward opening a SIF on American soil?

Moderator: Laura Thomas, California State Deputy Director, Drug Policy Alliance, San Francisco, CA

  • Corey Davis, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
  • Liz Evans, Executive Director & Founder, Portland Hotel Society, Vancouver, Canada
  • Bart Majoor, Clinical Psychologist, St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction, New York, NY
  • Donald MacPherson, former Drug Policy Advisor to the Mayor of Vancouver, Canada
  • Lynn D. Wenger, MSW, MPH, Research Triangle International, San Francisco, CA

 

Mandatory Madness:  The Zero Tolerance Drug War on Immigrants [panel] (back to top)

Tens of thousands of legal residents and other noncitizens are deported every year on drug-related grounds. Deportees often are held in detention miles away from family members without adequate due process for a drug conviction that may have occurred years ago. Panelists will detail the impact of the laws and federal surveillance programs that sweep up immigrants with drug law convictions. To what extent are drug policy reformers and immigrant rights advocates working together? How can they better do so?


Moderator: Judy Greene, Director, Justice Strategies, Brooklyn, NY

  • Marcela Diaz, Director, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, Santa Fe, NM
  • Michelle Fei, Co-Director, Immigrant Defense Project, New York, NY
  • Joan Friedland, Immigration Policy Director, National Immigration Law Center, Washington, DC
  • Nicole Porter, State Advocacy Coordinator, The Sentencing Project, Washington, DC
  • Grant Smith, Legislative Associate, Office of National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance

 

HIV/AIDS and Punitive Drug Policies: How Communities Are Fighting Back [roundtable] (back to top)

HIV and imprisonment are connected – in the lives of the one-in-four people with HIV who will pass through correctional facilities this year, in the fabric of our communities, and in the intertwining histories of the AIDS epidemic and the rise of the punitive drug policies that paved the way for mass imprisonment. Drawing on lessons learned from four community-based organizing and research projects in Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Canada, participants will explore strategies for challenging punitive drug policy as part of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention.

Facilitator: Laura McTighe, Director, Project UNSHACKLE, Brooklyn, NY

  • Waheedah Shabazz-El, Organizer, Support Center for Prison Advocacy, Philadelphia, PA
  • Doris Green, Founder, Men and Women In Prison Ministries, Chicago, IL
  • Deon Haywood, Executive Director, Women With A Vision, New Orleans, LA
  • Megan McLemore, Program Director, Human Rights Watch, New York, NY
  • Sandra Ka Hon Chu, Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Toronto, Ontario

 

Combating Stigma in Harm Reduction Policy [roundtable] (back to top)

Drug users and other impacted individuals, such as the formerly incarcerated, deal with a variety of stigmas. How do we, as providers and advocates for harm reduction move from stigma and shame to pride and ownership? What are some of the stigmas faced by organizations delivering or advocating for harm reduction services in other parts of the world? How can individuals and organizations navigate and overcome personal, community and policy barriers to harm reduction? 

Facilitator: Kathie Kane-Willis, Director, Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL

  • Bill Buehlman, Case Manager, All of Us or None, Oakland, CA
  • Reaksmey Chen, Director, Korsang Satrey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Allan Clear, Executive Director, Harm Reduction Coalition, NY, NY
  • Laura Guzman, Director, Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, San Francisco, CA
  • Baby Virgarose Nurmaya, Coordinator, STIGMA Foundation, Jakarta, Indonesia

  

12:30 – 2:00 pm

Lunch on your own

Canadian Drug Policy Reform Dialogue

This Forum is to allow Canadian attendees and international allies to discuss and strategize drug policy reform in Canada.  This event is open to the public.

Practice Doing Your Own Television Interviews [training] (back to top)
Speaking on television is harder than it looks. Experience first hand the do's and don'ts of effective television speaking by learning the elements of dynamic, well-organized, and persuasive television interviews during this hands-on workshop. How can we avoid the common missteps that spokespeople often make? Sign up for additional practice sessions to polish up on your interviewing skills to become a savvy communicator.

  • Rob Ablon, Media Associate, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY
  • John Berry, Video Productions Manager, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington, DC

 

2:00 – 3:30 pm

Sessions

 

Imagining Victory: Make Your Own Marijuana Regulation Model [roundtable] (back to top)

Taxation and regulation of marijuana has reached unprecedented levels of political viability. But what does regulating marijuana actually mean? How should states control personal cultivation, retail distribution, advertising, and corporate involvement? What are the lessons of alcohol and tobacco regulation? Panelists will address a variety of approaches that are on the drawing board – and some that are already on the launch pad.

Facilitator: Tamar Todd, Staff Attorney, Office of Legal Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance, Berkeley, CA

  • Dale Gieringer, Director, California NORML, Berkeley CA
  • Steve DeAngelo, Executive Director, Harborside Health Center, Oakland, CA
  • Jeff Jones, Executive Director, Patient ID Center, Oakland, CA
  • Bruce Livingston, Executive Director, Marin Institute, San Rafael, CA
  • Dave Schwartz, Nevada Campaign Manager, Marijuana Policy Project, Las Vegas, NV
  • Kirk Tousaw, Executive Director, Beyond Prohibition Foundation, Vancouver, Canada

 

Formerly Incarcerated People, Policy Reform, and Movement Building [roundtable](back to top)

Formerly incarcerated people are leaders in a range of initiatives to end the drug war. Recent victories include “Banning the Box” in California and Connecticut, voting rights reform in Alabama and Louisiana, and sentencing reform in New York and New Mexico. By combining community organizing with policy advocacy, these groups achieved significant policy victories with implications for broader reform. What can be learned from these victories? How can these reforms contribute to long-range movement building?  This roundtable of formerly incarcerated people will address these and other questions in a lively discussion.

Facilitator: Norris Henderson, Executive Director, Project VOTE, New Orleans, LA

  • Albino Garcia, La Palizita, Albuquerque, NM
  • LaResse Harvey, Policy Director, A Better Way Foundation, Hartford, CT
  • Manuel LaFontaine, All of Us or None, San Francisco, CA
  • Dorsey Nunn, Organizer, All of Us or None, San Francisco, CA
  • Tina Reynolds, Co-founder and Chair, WORTH, New York, NY

 

Treatment Not Torture [panel] (back to top)

In many situations, drug treatment is abusive and may even constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – a breach of international law. Too often, drug users end up in treatment against their will and locked doors or chains prevent them from escaping sometimes-indeterminate sentences. Panelists will describe the realities of drug treatment in Cambodia, Thailand and the United States – how people end up there and what conditions are like inside – and will analyze how particular practices violate international human rights law.

Moderator: Daniel Wolfe, Director, International Harm Reduction Development Program, Open Society Institute

  • Patricia Allard, Deputy Director, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
  • Apinun Aramrattana, Assistant Professor, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand (invited)
  • Holly Bradford, Founder and CEO, Korsang, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Karyn Kaplan, Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group
  • Maia Szalavitz, Freelance Writer

 

Rural Harm Reduction: Complex Challenges and Unique Solutions [panel]  (back to top)

Providing harm reduction services can be difficult in any setting, but rural areas present unique barriers to overcome. A widely dispersed population, little or no public transportation, few related community-based resources, histories of racial and socioeconomic prejudice, language barriers, and often justifiable distrust of outsiders all pose complex challenges. Join panelists from New Mexico, Colorado, and North Carolina to learn about collaborations and strategies that have been utilized to overcome challenges to providing harm reduction services in rural areas. 

Moderator:  Jeanne Block, RN, MS, Project Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico; Harm Reduction Contract Nurse, NM Dept. of Health, Santa Fe, NM

  • Fred Wells Brason II, President, Project Lazarus, Moravian Falls, NC
  • David Daniels, MPH, Health Educator, NM Dept. of Health, Las Cruces, NM
  • Terri Hurst, MSW, Policy Analyst, Colorado Rural Health Center, State Office of Rural Health, Aurora, CO
  • W. Azul La Luz B., PhD (ABD), MA, CCHT, Medical Sociologist, Dept. of Sociology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

 

MDMA as a Prescription Medicine [panel] (back to top)

Does MDMA belong in your therapist’s and psychiatrist’s office? By sponsoring MDMA-assisted psychotherapy research around the world, MAPS is developing MDMA into a prescription medicine. Come learn about the process of pharmaceutical drug development, results of MAPS’ $1.2 million US pilot study of 21 people treated with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and how you can get involved in this innovative project. 

Moderator: Leah Rorvig, MS/MD Candidate, UC-Berkeley/UC-SF Joint Medical Program

  • Rick Doblin, Executive Director, MAPS, Boston, MA
  • Randy Hencken, Director of Communications and Marketing, MAPS, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Valerie Mojeiko, Research Associate, MAPS, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Brian Wallace, Events and Outreach Coordinator, MAPS, Santa Cruz, CA

 

Schools, Education, and the Drug War [panel] (back to top)

Drug warriors frequently advance “protecting our children” as the most compelling rationale for the War on Drugs. Yet from distorted messaging about the virtues of abstinence-only to shielding youth from critical thinking about failed policies, the negative impact of the drug war’s flawed logic far outweighs the benefits to youth in ways that are frequently obscured. This panel explores a growing consensus among educators and policy analysts who view the drug war as damaging to the next generation and whose work at the high school and university level reflects a new direction in educating young people.

Moderator and Presenter: Jeanne Barr, Chair, Department of History and Social Studies, Francis W. Parker School, Chicago, IL

  • Kenneth Tupper, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia
  • Matt Vogel, Community Health Specialist & Adjunct Instructor, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
  • Dan Werb, Senior Research Assistant, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

 

After the Ban [roundtable] (back to top)

As activists celebrate the climax a successful campaign to lift the two-decades-old federal ban on syringe exchange funding, what have we learned and where do we go from here? This session will include reflection on the lessons for organizers and advocates from the federal ban campaign, an assessment on what our success does – and doesn’t – mean for Congressional and White House commitment to harm reduction policies, and future efforts to build on this victory and expand our base of support at the federal and grassroots levels.

Faciliator: Daniel Raymond, Harm Reduction Coalition, New York, NY

  • Glenn Backes, Public Policy Consultant, Public Policy Research & Consulting, Sacramento, CA
  • Daliah Heller, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Department of Health, New York, NY
  • Hillary McQuie, Western Director, Harm Reduction Coalition, Oakland, CA
  • Kris Nyrop, The Defender Association, Seattle, WA
  • Dave Purchase, Chair, North American Syringe Exchange Network and Director, Point Defiance AIDS Projects

 

4:00 – 5:30 pm

Sessions

 

Medical Marijuana Production and Distribution Systems:  Patients Rights & Access [roundtable] (back to top)

States with medical marijuana laws have adopted a variety of systems aimed at both avoiding federal interference and ensuring that medical marijuana patients have uninterrupted access to high quality medical marijuana. Some states simply allow patients to grow their own marijuana or to purchase it on the black market. Other states have adopted unique programs to ensure patient access. This roundtable will explore the various models of production and distribution—such as nonprofit versus for profit, state licensed versus locally controlled, individual cultivation versus collective cultivation. What are the practical and legal hurdles presented by the various states’ laws and how successful is each at meeting the needs of patients? What are some of the cultural barriers that patients may face in their effort to secure uninterrupted access?

Facilitator: Caren Woodson, Director of Government Relations, Americans for Safe Access, Washington, DC

  • Don Duncan, Director, Los Angeles Patients and Caregivers Group, Los Angeles, CAAllen Hopper, Director of Litigation, ACLU Drug Law Reform Project, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Steve Jenison, Medical Director, Infectious Disease Bureau, New Mexico Dept. of Health, Santa Fe, NM
  • Karen O’Keefe, Director of State Policies, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington DC
  • Brian Vicente, Executive Director, Sensible Colorado, Denver, CO

 

After Vienna: Prospects for International and UN Reform [roundtable] (back to top)

While unprecedented progress was made at last year's UN General Assembly

Special Session on Drugs in Vienna, it fell short of substantially reforming the UN Conventions. What are the next steps? What’s going on with drug policy and reform efforts around the world? Where are reform efforts gaining ground, or suffering setbacks? How will the global recession and the shift from the Bush administration to the Obama administration impact international drug policies? And how can reformers best influence the future of global drug control policy?

Facilitator: Daniel Wolfe, Director, International Harm Reduction Development Program, New York, NY

  • Thanasis Apostolou, Andreas Papandreou Foundation, Greece
  • Allan Clear, Executive Director, Harm Reduction Coalition, New York, NY
  • Pablo Cymerman, Director of Advocacy, Intercambios Civil Association, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Marcus Day, Director, Caribbean Drug & Alcohol Research Institute, Castries, Saint Lucia
  • Asmin Franciska, Indonesian Coalition for Drug Policy Reform
  • Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Warsaw, Poland
  • Robin Room, Beckley Foundation and Professor of Alcohol Policy Research, University of Melbourne, Australia

 

Innovative Approaches to Sentencing Reform [roundtable] (back to top)

There are many ways to reduce the amount of time people spend behind bars, but few appreciate the diversity of options. Sentencing reform has typically been focused on reducing the actual length of prison sentence associated with laws on the books. This panel will explore well-known areas of sentencing reform work, such as mandatory minimum sentencing schemes and the crack/powder sentencing disparity, but will also take a look at innovative practices emerging around the country – such as pre-booking diversion, increasing funding for treatment-not-incarceration programs, probation/parole reform, and public health components. How might these practices hold promise for a breakthrough? And what are some pitfalls to avoid?

Moderator: Jasmine Tyler, Deputy Director of National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, DC

  • Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Southern California Deputy State Director, Drug Policy Alliance, Los Angeles, CA
  • Corinne Carey, Public Policy Counsel, New York Civil Liberties Union
  • David Rogers, Partnership for Safety and Justice, Portland, OR
  • Rob Rooks, Director, Criminal Justice Programs, NAACP
  • K.L. Shannon, Community Organizer, The Defender Association, Seattle, WA
  • Nkechi Taifa, Senior Policy Analyst, Open Society Institute, Washington, DC

 

Moving the Movement Forward: Examining Gender in Drug Policy Reform [roundtable]  (back to top)

What are some of the unique obstacles that women face both in navigating unjust drug laws and negotiating power within reform organizations? As leaders in the drug policy reform movement, we have a responsibility to remain ahead of the curve in terms of addressing women’s experiences within the movement and ensuring that women’s voices are represented in our work. Prominent women doing work in drug policy reform and/or women’s rights and justice will discuss the importance of incorporating a female-centered critique in the fight against the war on drugs and the need to build on the intersections of the drug policy and women’s movements. 

Facilitator: asha bandele, Director, Advocacy Grants Program, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY

  • Debby Goldsberry, Co-Director, Berkeley Patients Group, Berkeley, CA
  • Deon Haywood, Executive Director, Women With A Vision, New Orleans, LA
  • Lynn Paltrow, Executive Director, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, New York, NY
  • Tina Reynolds, Co-founder and Chair, WORTH, Brooklyn, NY
  • Annie Oak, Founder, Women’s Visionary Council, San Francisco, CA
  • Steph Sherer, Executive Director, Americans for Safe Access, Washington, DC
  • Angie Vachio, Co-founder, PB&J Family Services, Cedar Crest, NM

 

Artistic Interventions for Gang-Involved Youth [training] (back to top)

Although the drug war has a disproportionately harmful effect on young people, especially those in urban communities, there are few resources available to urban youth that mitigate its impact. The Youth Development, Inc.’s 4th Street Outreach Family Services Center in Albuquerque encourages youth to reject violence by taking healthy, productive and safe risks – such as art, theatre, dance, audio/video production, spoken word and other creative outlets. What are some of the program’s day-to-day case management services? What are some effective intervention strategies used at the Center? And how can participants work to engage with at-risk youth in their own communities?  

  • Ruben Levya, Program Director, Youth Development, Inc., Albuquerque, NM
  • Youth Development, Inc. participants

The Message is the Medium: Communication and Outreach Without Borders [panel] (back to top)

Shifting public opinion toward a more sophisticated understanding of drugs and drug users is essential to shifting public policy. Although reformers have made substantial progress, legislation, law enforcement, and treatment practices are still often based on myths and prejudices, often leading to intolerance and rights violations of drug users.  How can effective messaging and innovative outreach complement efforts to influence current policy?  This diverse group of speakers will share their experiences implementing creative public education campaigns and engaging and empowering the "niche markets" of youth, the faith community, and drug users themselves.

Moderator: gabriel sayegh, Director, State Organizing Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY

  • Ricky Gunawan, Community Legal Aid Institute, Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Rev. Edwin Sanders, Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, Nashville, TN
  • Peter Sarosi, Drug Policy Program Coordinator, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Budapest, Hungary
  • Sebastian Saville, Executive Director, Release, London, UK

 

5:30 - 7:00 pm

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Meet and Greet

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) invites all MAPS supporters and friends to a happy hour meet and greet. Come meet the staff of MAPS, MAPS' colleagues and other MAPS supporters. There will be a cash bar and light snacks will be provided. This event is open to the public.

 

6:00 - 6:45 pm

Twilight Candlelight Vigil

Join us for a candlelight vigil to commemorate and stand in solidarity with all those affected by the war on drugs, particularly people and their family members currently and formerly incarcerated for drug charges.

The vigil will feature local and national speakers including New Mexico State Representative Antonio Maestas, activist Dorsey Nunn, Reverend Edwin Sanders, Tony Papa, and others personally affected by the war on drugs.

The special event will light up Civic Plaza with hundreds of luminarias and candles to symbolize our hope to end the needless incarceration of our family members, loved ones, and friends because of our nation’s failed and misguided war on drugs.

Master of Ceremonies: Julie Roberts, Drug Policy Alliance, Santa Fe, NM

  • Nubia Legarda, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, El Paso, TX
  • Antonio "Moe" Maestas, New Mexico Representative, House Judiciary and Courts, Corrections and Justice Committees
  • Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY (invited)
  • Dorsey Nunn, Organizer, All of Us or None, San Francisco, CA
  • Anthony Papa, Communications Specialist, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY
  • Rev. Edwin Sanders, Metropolitan Interdenominational Church, Nashville, TN

7:00 – 10:00 pm

FILM FESTIVAL

Screening of selection from "Health and Hope" by Gretchen Hildebrand

“Health and Hope” is the name of two new documentary-style videos produced for the New Mexico Department of Health addressing the twin epidemics of opiate addiction and hepatitis C in the state’s jails and prisons.

 

Told through the stories of currently and formerly incarcerated people, and shot on location in New Mexico’s correction  and public health systems, these videos explore the challenges of addiction for incarcerated people, give information about treatments such as methadone and suboxone, educate about hepatitis C transmission and treatment, and offer a critical message of hope to those on the inside.

Screening of "10 Rules for Dealing With Police" by Steve Silverman

From the creators of the classic, BUSTED: The Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Police Encounters (2003), Flex Your Rights premiers its new achievement, 10 Rules for Dealing with Police. The 40-minute educational drama is the most sophisticated and entertaining film of its kind. Narrated by the legendary trial lawyer and LEAP member William "Billy" Murphy, Jr. (from HBO’s The Wire), 10 Rules depicts innocent people dealing with heavy-handed drug war policing tactics used every day in the United States. The film was made possible with generous funding from the Drug Policy Alliance and the Marijuana Policy.

 

Friday, Nov. 13th

 

8:00 – 9:00 am

Continental Breakfast

 

9:00 – 10:30 am

Sessions

 

Marijuana Messaging that Works [roundtable] (back to top)

Everyone has a gut sense of what works, but what does the research say? This panel will cover the basics, and it will also explore surprising nuances that will help you stay ahead of the game. What are the best ways to emphasize how prohibition wastes scarce law enforcement resources? Is it better to say “regulate” or “legalize”? Political consultants and reform advocates will share new research and tales from the front lines about effectively promoting marijuana regulation to an increasingly receptive general public and to cautious community leaders.

Facilitator: Stephen Gutwillig, California State Director, Drug Policy Alliance, Los Angeles, CA

  • Ruth Bernstein, Principal, EMC Research, Oakland, CA
  • Steve Fox, Director of State Campaigns, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington, DC
  • Paul Goodwin, Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, Culver City, CA
  • Joshua Ulibarri, Lake Research, AZ (invited)
  • Bill Zimmerman, Zimmerman and Markman, Santa Monica, CA

 

Fundraising in a Tough Economy [roundtable] (back to top)
No matter how much great work your organization is doing, if its fundraising practices aren't strong, it won’t achieve its desired impact on communities and policy. This is especially true during this prolonged period of economic turmoil, as some philanthropic organizations are folding and most are coping with decreased revenue. This is as competitive a time as ever to apply for funding, and each of us must be efficient and clever to remain viable. What are some best practices when applying for grants? And what are some creative ideas to raise money in these tight times? 

Facilitator and Panelist: Clovis Thorn, Managing Director, Development, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY

  • asha bandele, Director, Advocacy Grants Program, Drug Policy Alliance, New York , NY
  • David Glowka, Manager, Foundation Relations, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY
  • Suzanne Gollin, President, Angelica Foundation, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Leonard Noisette, Director, Criminal Justice Fund, Open Society Institute

 

Congress, President Obama, and the Drug Czar [roundtable] (back to top)

Democrats have increased their majority in Congress and taken control of the White House, while a punitive and ideological drug czar has been replaced with a more moderate and evidence-based one. What does this mean for U.S. drug policies? Will the new administration follow through on Candidate Obama’s promises? What is Congress likely to do over the next year?

Facilitator: Bill Piper, Director of National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, DC

  • Judge Arthur Burnett, Executive Director, National African American Drug Coalition, Washington, DC
  • John Carnevale, President, Carnevale Associates, Gaithersburg, MD
  • Nicole Austin Hillary, Director and Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice, Washington, DC
  • Aaron Houston, Director of Government Relations, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington, DC
  • Bill McColl, Political Director, AIDS Action, Washington, DC
  • Sanho Tree, Director, Drug Policy Project, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
  • Jasmine Tyler, Deputy Director of National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, DC

 

Zoned Out [panel] (back to top)

When it comes to drugs, politicians seem to be infatuated with geographical restrictions that aim to “zone out” various types of drug-related activities. So-called “drug free schools zones” epitomize criminal laws with disparate racial impacts. This concept was recently used in a new context when Congress proposed lifting the federal ban on syringe access funding with the restriction that funds could not go to programs located within a 1,000 feet of a school or other protected location – which would essentially ban federal funding for syringe exchanges in urban areas. Methadone treatment and medical marijuana dispensaries are sometimes subject to similar restrictions. Is there any evidence to justify these laws? Is there evidence that they backfire? What efforts are being made to undo them?

Moderator: Roseanne Scotti, Director, Drug Policy Alliance, New Jersey, Trenton, NJ

  • Holly Catania, Project Director, International Center for Advancement of Addiction Treatment, New York, NY
  • Joe Elford, Chief Counsel, Americans for Safe Access, Oakland, CA
  • LaResse Harvey, A Better Way Foundation, Hartford, CT
  • Hillary McQuie, Western Director, Harm Reduction Coalition, Oakland, CA

 

Psychedelic Research: Neuroscience and Ethnobotanical Roots [panel] (back to top)

As psychedelic research re-emerges, it is important to examine recent advances in neuroscience and ethnobotany. For 16 years, the Heffter Research Institute has been facilitating and funding legitimate research with psychedelics, with a special focus on psilocybin. What are some of the active psilocybin research programs? What characterizes the neurobiology of psilocybin? What are its potential uses in medicine and psychiatry? What are the safety parameters for psilocybin and brain imaging? And what are some ways that it has been used traditionally by indigenous peoples?

Moderator: George Greer, Medical Director, Heffter Research Institute, Santa Fe, NM

  • Dennis McKenna, PhD, Assistant Professor, Center for Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota, Marine on St. Croix, MN
  • Mark Geyer, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego 
  • Franz Vollenweider, MD, Professor, University of Zurich, Switzerland

 

Opioid Overdose Prevention Workshop [training](back to top)

Although death from overdose is widely cited as among the most tragic outcomes of addiction, it is not widely known that opioid overdoses can be reversed by the administration of naloxone, a prescription drug available in most states. This workshop will cover everything from the demographics to the risk factors to the biology of overdose and its reversal. What are the basic elements of a quick overdose training session? What problems are organizations and agencies encountering in implementing overdose prevention programs?

Presenter: William Matthews, Physician Assistant, Opioid Overdose Prevention Program Coordinator, Harm Reduction Coalition, New York, NY

 

Border Perspectives: Alternatives to the 40-Year U.S. War on Drugs Policy [panel](back to top)

The U.S.-Mexico border region has been hit particularly hard by violence associated with prohibition and the militarization of the drug war. What is the impact of prohibition-related violence north of the border? Has it affected public opinion? What are some solutions that have been proposed to reduce the violence in the border region? And what can we do to help?

Moderator: Vanessa Romero, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, UTEP Chapter

  • Kathleen Staudt, Professor of Political Science, University of Texas-El Paso
  • Tony Payan, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Texas-El Paso
  • Beto O’Rourke, El Paso City Council
  • Jorge Luis Sierra, Editorial Director, Latino Media Projects, Edinburg, TX

 

11:00 – 3:00 pm

Help Out New Mexico: Harm Reduction in Action

 

11:00 – 12:30 pm

Sessions

 

Medical Marijuana Research and Policy: The Latest Developments [roundtable](back to top)

Despite political limitations, there have been tremendous advances in medical marijuana research over the past few years. What clinical investigations of medicinal cannabis and cannabinoids are taking place? And what research isn’t taking place? How can the safety and efficacy of cannabis be compared to conventional therapies? Can cannabinoids be used as curative agents in addition to palliative ones? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of various regulation and distribution models for producing and dispensing medical cannabis to qualified patients?

Facilitator: Paul Armentano, Deputy Director, National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws

  • Wendy Chapkis, PhD, Professor of Sociology, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME
  • Mitch Earleywine, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, State University of New York at Albany (invited)
  • Carl Hart, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY
  • Dale Gieringer, PhD, Director, California NORML, Berkeley CA
  • Philippe Lucas, Founder, Vancouver Island Compassion Society, Victoria, British Columbia
  • Frank Lucido, MD, Lucido Medical-Legal Consulting, Berkeley, CA, Founder, MedicalBoardWatch.com

 

Mexico’s Failed War: The Internal Battle [roundtable] (back to top)

Mexico’s failed drug war has had grave consequences in terms of violence, insecurity, corruption, and impunity for human rights. What is the United States’ role in the conflict? What does Mexico’s emerging drug policy reform movement look like? Will Mexico’s new decriminalization law help, hurt, or both? Panelists will provide a diagnosis of the situation and offer proposals on how to establish effective and integrated drug policies in Mexico.

Moderator: Jorge Hernandez Tinajero, President, Collective for an Integrated Drug Policy (CUPIHD), Mexico City, Mexico

  • Samuel Gonzalez, Criminal Justice Consultant, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Alejandro Madrazo, Professor, CIDE Law School, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Maureen Meyer, Associate for Mexico and Central America, Washington Office on Latin America, Washington DC
  • Ernesto Portillo, Executive Director, Institute for Security and Democracy (INSYDE), Mexico City, Mexico
  • Jorge Javier Romero, Professor, Collective for an Integrated Drug Policy, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico                
  • Marcela Turati, Journalist, Red de Periodistas a Pie, Mexico City, Mexico

 

Drug Courts: Is a Kinder, Gentler Drug War Good Enough? [panel] (back to top)

As drug courts become increasingly widespread in the US and Canada, supporters and detractors alike bemoan the lack of criteria for measuring their effectiveness. Meanwhile, alternatives to drug courts have emerged in Hawaii, where abstinence, not treatment, is required – and in Portugal, where administrative “dissuasion commissions” have replaced criminal courts. How have US drug courts evolved in the US and Canada since they were first established in 1989? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Hawaiian and Portuguese models? And how can governments best reduce criminality and support improvements to the health of people who use drugs?

 

Moderator: Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Southern California Deputy State Director, Drug Policy Alliance, Los Angeles, CA

  • Hon. Ron Albers, Judge, Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, CA
  • Nuno Capaz, Sociologist, Instituto da Droga e da Toxicodepência, Portugal (invited)
  • Barbara Garcia, Deputy Director, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA
  • Dr. David Marsh, Medical Director, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, Canada            
  • Representative from National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Nastassia Walsh, Research Associate, Justice Policy Institute, Washington, DC

 

Collateral Damage: Women, Children and Families in the War on Drugs (back to top)

What are the consequences of the drug war for women and children? What are some of the psychological and developmental problems faced by children whose parents are incarcerated? What are some of the traumas that women face when they are forced to give birth in shackles? And what roadblocks do drug convictions impose on a mother’s ability to provide for her family?

Moderator: Tina Reynolds, Women on the Rise Telling Her Story, Brooklyn, NY

  • Pat Allard, Deputy Director, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
  • Gretchen Burns Bergman, Executive Director, A New PATH, Spring Valley, CA
  • Lynn Paltrow, Executive Director, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, New York, NY
  • Jennifer Thompson, Program Director, PB&J Family Services, Albuquerque, NM

 

The Re-emergence of Psychedelics: Implications for Novel Treatment Paradigms [panel] (back to top)

After several decades of repression, the last few years have witnessed a renewal of sanctioned research with psychedelic drugs. This panel will review studies addressing the relationship between psilocybin and mystical experience, the application of a psilocybin treatment model in patients with advanced-stage cancer and existential anxiety, and the use of psilocybin to treat drug addiction and alcoholism.

Moderator: Norbert Litzinger, Director of Development, Heffter Research Institute

  • Roland Griffiths, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
  • Charles Grob, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
  • Stephen Ross, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY  

 

Open Source Advocacy: The Intersection of Collaborative Technology and Drug Policy Reform [panel] (back to top)
The recent explosion of collaborative, socially-powered technologies has forged many connections with the drug policy reform movement, both on practical and theoretical levels. Many organizations are using innovative new technologies, such as Facebook, Google Docs, and Twitter, to substantially enhance their ability to organize and advance policy. Meanwhile, some drug policy activists see the movements for open-source technology and digital rights paralleling our movement in pursuit of cognitive liberty. How can we best utilize these new technologies as tools for public education and political advocacy? 

Moderator and Panelist: Meghan Ralston, Harm Reduction Coordinator and creator of “Purple Ribbons” campaign, Drug Policy Alliance Southern California, Los Angeles, CA    

  • Micah Daigle, Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington, DC
  • Justin Holmes, Radical Technology Teach-In, Binghamton, NY
  • Anjali Taneja, MD, MPH, Family Physician, Casa de Salud, Albuquerque, NM

 

Hepatitis C: Crossroads of Public Heath and Drug Policy [training] (back to top)

Hepatitis C advocacy maneuvers in the intersection of public health and drug policy reform. With the majority of hepatitis C infections linked to injection drug use, advocacy and organizing are inevitably caught up in the dynamics of stigma and the war on drugs. From access to treatment to prevention of new infections to general awareness campaigns, drug users struggle against marginalization and silence. What lessons does the history of hepatitis C advocacy hold for drug policy? How can the hepatitis C advocacy and the drug policy reform movements learn from and support each other?

  • Daniel Raymond, Director of Policy, Harm Reduction Coalition
  • Narelle Ellendon, Syringe Access Expansion Coordinator, Harm Reduction Coalition

12:30 – 2:00 pm

Lunch on your own

Global Drug Policy progrm OSI Meeting with grantees

To update information about the current projects run by the organizations and supported by the GDPp and to share plans for the coming year.  This meeting is for members only.

Practice Doing Your Own Television Interviews [training]

 

 

2:00 – 3:30 pm

FEATURE PLENARY: Global Drug Prohibition: Costs, Consequences and Alternatives

Moderator: Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Program Director, Open Society Institute, Warsaw, Poland

  • Jorge Castañeda, Former Foreign Minister of Mexico, and Professor of Politics and Latin American Studies, New York University
  • Alex Wodak, PhD, Director of Alcohol and Drug Service, St. Vincent’s Hospital and President, International Harm Reduction Association, Sydney, Australia

  

4:00 – 5:30 pm

Sessions

 

Marijuana’s Cultural Moment [Roundtable](back to top)

From Showtime’s “Weeds” to the cover of Fortune magazine, marijuana is being normalized and embraced by mainstream culture as never before. It is also an intimate part of various subcultures, artist communities, and political movements. Marijuana’s legitimacy is booming – but so are prohibitionist policies. Why is there such a schism in our society? What does American marijuana culture look like today? Where does pot culture meet pop culture? Who benefits from marijuana’s growing mainstream acceptance?

Facilitator: Russ Belville, National Outreach Coordinator, National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws

  • William Lantelme Filho, Founder of growroom.net, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (invited)
  • Deborah Small, Founder and Executive Director, Breaks the Chains, New York, NY
  • Rubin Whitmore II, Flex Your Rights, Washington, DC

 

Economic Analysis of the Global Drug Prohibition Regimes [panel] (back to top)

What are some ways that economic analysis can explain the shifting dynamics of global drug policy? Why do the U.S. and other countries continue to implement drug policies that do not reflect their long-term economic interests? What are the challenges of conducting economic analysis of such a politicized topic?  And what implications does the current economic crisis have for the future of global drug policy?

Moderator: Charles “Des” Cohen, Economist, Soros Foundation, Brighton, UK
Discussant: Niels Westy, Scandanavian Center for Drug Policy, Fredensborg, Denmark

  • Daniel Mejia, Professor, Center of Studies on Economic Development, Universidad de los Andes
  • Jeffrey Miron, Visiting Professor of Economics, Harvard University
  • Roberto Ricci, Manager, Illicit Drug Market, Rome, Italy
  • Sidney Weintraub, William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy, Center for Strategic & International Studies, Washington, DC

 

Confronting the U.S. War on Drugs in Latin America: Local and Regional Strategies [roundtable] (back to top)

Latin America is one of the regions most affected by global prohibition. It is also home to an active debate about drug policy and a laboratory for many innovative approaches to reducing the harms of drug misuse. What do Latin America's drug policy reform movements look like? This panel surveys some of the major developments in Latin American drug policy -- such as community-based harm reduction efforts, licit cultivation of coca, challenges to aerial fumigation of coca and other illicit crops, and recent developments to reduce the criminalization of drug use in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.

Facilitator: Coletta Youngers, Senior Fellow, Washington Office on Latin America, Washington, DC

  • Jorge Castañeda, Former Foreign Minister of Mexico, and Professor of Politics and Latin American Studies, New York University
  • Carol Conzelman, Cultural Anthropologist, University of Colorado, Telluride, CO
  • Joao Pedro Padua, Criminal Defense Lawyer and Professor, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Ana Paula Hernandez, Consultant, Angelica Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Nancy Sanchez, MINGA, Colombia (invited)
  • Patricia Llerena, Judge, Tribunal Oral Criminal de Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Policing Drug Markets [panel] (back to top)

From patrolling the streets to supervising people on parole or probation, law enforcement officers exercise a lot of power and discretion in dealing with drug law offenders and the criminal justice system that seeks to arrest and incarcerate them. This panel provides both a law enforcement and non-law-enforcement perspective on the many ways in which law enforcement officers can help or hurt people who use illegal drugs. Why are there so many marijuana arrests in the United States? How should law enforcement officers interact with harm reduction services? What are the benefits and drawbacks of popular diversion programs like Operation Highpoint or Seattle’s Drug Market Initiative?

 

Moderator: Ira Glasser, DPA Board President, New York, NY

  • Harry Levine, Professor of Sociology, Queens College, New York, NY
  • Sonny Leeper, Law Enforcement Training International
  • Kris Nyrop, The Defender Association, Seattle, WA
  • Matt McCally, LEAP, Renton, WA
  • Daniel Bear, London School of Economics, London, UK

 

Ayahuasca: Traditional Uses and Modern Adaptations [panel] (back to top)

Since the mid-1980s there has been a an explosion in Brazil and many parts of the world of several new religious groups that use ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew traditionally used by people native to the Amazon, as a sacrament and as part of their liturgy. How are various governments attempting to regulate ayahuasca? How are they taking into account wider sociocultural considerations? Does the Brazilian government's pioneering approach have wider implications for the general issue of drug control?

Moderator: Kenneth Tupper, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia 

  • Maxi Cohen, Filmmaker, New York, NY
  • Diane Haug, Psychotherapist, Santa Fe, NM
  • Edward MacRae, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil
  • Dennis McKenna, PhD, Assistant Professor, Center for Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota, Marine on St. Croix, MN

 

Bridging the Gap: Drug User Organizing [roundtable] (back to top)

We are all in some respects drug users, but not all of us identify as such – especially in our public lives and advocacy. How do people in different communities relate to the war on drugs? What are the barriers to user organizing in the United States? What has been the experience of those in Europe? How can user advocates make connections with other parts of the drug policy reform movement? User advocates, as well as active and former users, discuss what it takes to give this population a voice.

Facilitator: Karyn Kaplan, Director of Policy and Development, Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group, Bangkok, Thailand

  • Rebecca Brooks, Board Member, International Network of People who Use Drugs (INPUD), Tulsa, OK
  • Hiawatha Collins, Organizing Fellow, Voices of Community Advocates and Leaders (VOCAL) – New York Users Union, New York, NY (invited)
  • Zoe Dodd, Toronto Drug Users Union (TDUU), Toronto, Canada
  • Ann Livingston, Executive Program Director, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), Vancouver, Canada (invited)
  • Fabrice Olivet, National Addiction Commission, and Auto-Support des Usagers de Drogues (ASUD), Paris, France
  • Yvonne Sibuea, General Coordinator, PERFORMA, Semarang, Indonesia

 

7:30 – 10:30 pm

Award Dinner

Thanks to the generous support of Richard Dennis, we are pleased to announce that we are holding a special Award Dinner and Ceremony on Friday, November 13 from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque.   Dinner includes a four course meal and wine courtesy of Hugh Thacher and the San Francisco Wine Exchange. The cost for the dinner is $75 in advance and $95 at the door (if available).  You may purchase tickets in advance through the online registration system.  If you've already registered for the conference, go to Award Tickets to purchase tickets.  If you haven't registered for the conference, you will be able to purchase tickets during the full conference registration.  Please contact the Conference Management Office toll free at 1 (866) 219-4582 if you have any questions.

 

Saturday, Nov. 14th

 

9:00 – 10:00 am

Continental Breakfast

 

10:00 – 11:30 am

Sessions

 

The Amphetamine Story: When Bad Things Happen To Good Medicine [panel] (back to top)
What’s the real story with amphetamine? The rush by governments to respond to perceived amphetamine epidemics has resulted in drug polices based on hyperbole, distorted data, media-driven misperceptions, and the mischaracterization of the dangers of amphetamine and its users. What has been the impact of ill-informed drug policies on the illicit and licit use of amphetamine? And what opportunities are there for amphetamine as a tool for harm reduction?

Moderator: Sebastian Saville, Executive Director, Release, London, UK

  • Apinun Aramrattana, Assistant Professor, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
  • Luciano Colonna, Public Health and Policy Consultant, Salt Lake City, UT
  • Carl Hart, Associate Professor of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY
  • Matthew Kirkpatrick, Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University, New York, NY

 

Just4Teens: Dare to put Safety First! [training] (back to top)
Ten years ago, DPA published Safety First: A Reality-Based Approach to Teens, Drugs, and Drug Education, and more than 225,000 copies have been distributed worldwide in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Now, DPA has produced Just4Teens: Let’s Talk about Meth and Other Drugs, an innovative video featuring the voices of young people, prevention specialists, and adults in recovery. Just4Teens focuses on honest, open, and respectful discussion with teens about their experiences and the realities of drugs and drug use today. This 15-minute DVD and accompanying Facilitator’s Guide is being used in classrooms and prevention programs and was a finalist for the 2008 International Health and Medical Media Awards. Join us to view Just4Teens, discuss Safety First, and tell us what should come next.

  • Jeanne Block, RN, MS, Project Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico; Harm Reduction Contract Nurse, NM Dept. of Health, Santa Fe, NM
  • Marsha Rosenbaum, PhD, Director Emerita, Drug Policy Alliance San Francisco and Safety First Program, San Francisco, CA

 

Heroin-Assisted Treatment [panel] (back to top)

Last summer, the results from the North American Opiate Medication Initiative (NAOMI) made international headlines when they were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Denmark is following Germany’s and Switzerland’s lead by embarking on a national program to prescribe heroin to long-term drug users, while the UK just finished a trial of prescribed heroin with “chronic addicts.” What comes next for this cutting-edge treatment option? Researchers from Canada and Denmark will discuss what has worked and why.

Moderator: Naomi Long, Director, Drug Policy Alliance D.C. Metro Area, Washington, D.C.

  • Michael Jourdan, Editor, Center of Alcohol and Drug Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • David Marsh, Medical Director, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, Canada
  • Martin Schechter, MD, PhD, Professor and Director, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

 

"Insider's View": Drug Policy Legislation and State Lawmakers [roundtable] (back to top)
Important drug policy reforms have reached the House and Senate floors in legislatures across the U.S.  In this session, hear the "insider's view" from key lawmakers who are taking the lead on drug policy in their state legislatures.

Facilitator: Jill Harris, Managing Director, Public Policy, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY

  • Tom Ammiano, California Assemblyman, Public Safety Committee Chair
  • Curt Anderson, Maryland Delegate, House Judiciary Committee, Criminal Justice Subcommittee Chair, and Special Committee on Drug and Alcohol Abuse
  • Roger Goodman, Washington Representative, House Judiciary Committee Vice Chair, Director of Voluntary Committee of Lawyers
  • Antonio "Moe" Maestas, New Mexico Representative, House Judiciary and Courts, Corrections and Justice Committees
  • Eric Schneiderman, New York State Senator, Senate Codes Committee Chair
  • Lena Taylor, Wisconsin State Senator, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair

 

Veterans: Casualties of the Drug War [roundtable] (back to top)

Military veterans disproportionately struggle with mental and physical illnesses and injuries that can lead to poverty, addiction, and incarceration. In what ways do U.S. drug policies fail our veterans and interfere with their readjustment to civilian life? What are the recent trends in state policies toward veteran-specific treatment alternatives?  Are there opportunities to advance new paradigms through veteran-specific programs? What are some alternative therapies for treating pain and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that involve currently prohibited substances? And how the experiences of current conflict veterans resemble or differ from those of Vietnam veterans?

Facilitator: Tony Newman, Director of Media Relations, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY

  • Guy Gambill, Research and Policy Director, Veterans Initiatives Center and Research Institute,
  • Jeremy Kuzmarov, Assistant Professor of History, Tulsa University
  • Robert Newman, MD, Director, Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY
  • Sgt. Philip Northcutt, Veterans Advocate; Sergeant, United States Marine Corps (former); Veteran, Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2004 - 2005. (invited)


Making the News: How to Get the Media to Cover Your Issue [training] (back to top)

What are the nuts and bolts of getting your issue in the news? What makes something newsworthy? What are some best practices for writing a press release, pitching a reporter, and conducting an interview?  How can advocates use various aspects of online media – such as blogs, social networking sites, and online activism – to create an effective media campaign? 

Facilitator: Tommy McDonald, Deputy Director of Communications, Drug Policy Alliance, Berkeley, CA

  • Dan Berger, Advocacy Associate, ACLU Drug Law Reform Project, Santa Cruz, CA
  • Mary Jane Borden, Business Manager, DrugSense/ MAP, Westerville, OH
  • Melissa Milam Meek, Coordinator, New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program, Santa Fe, NM
  • Mikki Norris, Managing Editor and Publisher, West Coast Leaf, Oakland, CA
  • Anthony Papa, Communications Specialist, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY

 

Intoxicants, Addiction and the Future of Drug Control [panel] (back to top)

How will individuals and society adapt to the growing diversity of psychoactive substances, both legal and illegal?  Can some of the most feared substances be “domesticated” to reduce their harms?  How will perceptions and definitions of addiction evolve?  Will new social controls replace criminal justice controls?  What do we want the future of drug control to look like?

Moderator: Harry Levine, Professor of Sociology, Queens College, New York, NY

  • Stanton Peele, JD, PhD, Psychologist, Adjunct Professor, New School University, New York, NY
  • Craig Reinarman, Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Deborah Small, Founder and Executive Director, Break the Chains, New York, NY

 

11:00 – 3:00 pm

Help Out New Mexico: Harm Reduction in Action

 

12:00 – 1:30 pm

Sessions

 

Reflections on Drug Treatment [panel] (back to top)

Distinguished leaders in drug treatment reflect on lessons learned over many years of designing and implementing programs and interventions to help people deal with their addictions.

  • William R. Miller, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico
  • G. Alan Marlatt, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
  • Robert Newman, MD, Director, Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY
  • Lisa Recke, Clinical Psychologist, The Street Lawyers, Copenhagen, Denmark

 

The Right Medicine: Preventing Harms from Prescription Opioids [panel] (back to top)

This panel will cover emerging issues specifically associated with the nonmedical use of prescription drugs in the United States. Topics discussed will include: epidemiology and how to access state-level data, naloxone prescription in the context of pain management, community coalition building strategies, and harm reduction tools specifically created for prescription pill injectors.

Moderator: Meghan Ralston, Harm Reduction Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

  • Alice Bell, Overdose Prevention Project Coordinator, Prevention Point Pittsburgh
  • Fred Wells Brason II, President, Project Lazurus, Moravian Falls, NC
  • Nab Dasgupta, UNC Public Health/Project Lazarus, Chapel Hill, NC
  • Kay Sanford, Epidemiologist, Project Lazurus, Moravian Falls, NC

 

Education Not Incarceration: SSDP's Campus Change Campaign [panel] (back to top)

All reform starts locally, and that’s why students all across the country are working to make their campus drug policies more sensible. Since Students for Sensible Drug Policy launched its Campus Change Campaign, dozens of SSDP chapters have shifted their campus drug policies toward a less punitive, harm-reduction based approach. Panelists will share their stories of success and help participants apply lessons learned to local campaigns. Students and nonstudents welcome!

  • Anastacia Cosner, Outreach Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington, DC
  • Amber Langston, Midwest and Southern Regions Outreach Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington, DC
  • Jon Perri, Western Region Outreach Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington, DC

 

After Prohibition: Imagining Alternative Drug Regimes, Present and Future [panel] (back to top)
While there is a growing consensus that prohibition causes more harm than good, there is a noticeable lack of consensus about the specific systems of regulation that would replace the current model. What are the pros and cons of these different approaches? How can the reform movement advance these different visions? What lessons can be learned from alcohol, tobacco, and other regulatory regimes? This group will review the available evidence from systems already in place (especially decriminalization in Portugal and other similar international efforts), speculate about what legalization might look like, and discuss other options for controlling drugs in a regulated market.

Moderator: Eric Sterling, LEAP, and President, Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, Silver Spring, MD

  • Roger Goodman, Washington State Representative, Seattle, WA
  • Mark Haden, Clinical Supervisor, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, Canada
  • Danny Kushlick, Head of Policy and Communications, Transform Drug Policy Foundation, Bristol, UK
  • Robin Room, Beckley Foundation and Professor of Alcohol Policy Research, University of Melbourne, Australia

 

Queer Community Strategies for Ending the War on Drugs [roundtable] (back to top)

From Prohibition to Stonewall to the present day, the drug war has adversely affected the LGBT community. In what ways have LGBT activists, advocates, and politicians led the fight on issues from syringe access to marijuana to prison reform? How are organizers fighting the impact that the criminalization of drugs has on poor and working class LGBT communities, especially people of color? How can HIV/AIDS activists and the LGBT community join forces with drug policy reformers? And in what ways are they already doing so?

Facilitator and Panelist: Kenyon Farrow, Interim Executive Director, Queers for Economic Justice, New York, NY

  • Tom Ammiano, California State Assembly, San Francisco, CA
  • Deon Haywood, Executive Director, Women With A Vision, New Orleans, LA
  • Miss Major, Gender-variant & Intersex Justice Project, San Francisco, CA
  • Laura Thomas, Deputy State Director, San Francisco, Drug Policy Alliance
  • Jay Toole, Director of Shelter Organizing, Queers for Economic Justice, New York, NY
  • Constance Sisk, Vice-Chair, SSDP Board of Directors, Richmond, VA

 

The Well-Rounded Activist [training] (back to top)

This workshop is designed to help you to build your skills as a grassroots advocate for reform. What are some essential elements of citizen lobbying and grassroots organizing? What are some key advocacy tactics that you will need to be an effective activist, and how can you inspire others to join your cause? This will be an interactive workshop where participants will have an opportunity to work in groups. 

  • Matt Simon, Executive Director, New Hampshire Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy, Pembroke, NH
  • Aaron Smith, California Policy Director, Marijuana Policy Project

 

1:30 – 3:00 pm

Lunch on your own

 

Being A Player: The Rules around Lobbying and Advocacy [training] (back to top)

($25 materials fee, limited to 40 people, register online now)

501(c) (3) organizations can and should engage in advocacy. Abby Levine, an experienced tax and election law attorney, will explain the rules 501(c)(3) organizations must know when advocating for policy change.  This interactive workshop will cover the federal tax law governing lobbying and advocacy, the 501(h) expenditure and insubstantial part tests, the definitions for direct and grassroots lobbying and how to calculate your organization’s lobbying limits. This session will give you examples of how to “lobby” without “lobbying” using exceptions found in the tax code as well as how to track your organization’s lobbying activity for IRS reporting purposes.  

Facilitator: Abby Levine, Deputy Director of Advocacy Programs, Alliance for Justice

 

Practice Doing Your Own Television Interviews [training]

 

INPUD Gathering: The International Network of People Who Use Drugs

A presentation including a brief history and current work in progress.  An open discussion on international networking to bring drug users voices to important venues around the world.  Membership application forms will be available. Informal and open to the public.

 

3:00 – 4:30 pm

Sessions

 

Ending Marijuana Prohibition [panel] (back to top)

We are at a defining moment in the decades-long struggle to end marijuana prohibition, as the shift in public opinion toward making marijuana legal accelerates. Have we reached the tipping point? How will we transform this opportunity into real change? Is this opening different from those of the past? Could an economic recovery undermine our progress? Where will marijuana prohibition fall first?

Moderator: Pamela Lichty, President, Drug Policy Forum of Hawai’I, Honolulu, HI

  • Tom Ammiano, California State Assemblymember, San Francisco, CA  
  • Richard Lee, President, Oaksterdam University, Oakland, CA
  • Rob Kampia, Executive Director, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington, DC
  • Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY
  • Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director, National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, Washington, DC

 

What's Going On In Europe? [roundtable] (back to top)

What’s the general state of drug policy reform in Europe? What are some key differences between the U.S. and European approaches to drug policy and drug policy reform? In what ways are reform efforts in Europe falling back, and how are they moving forward?

Facilitator: Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, Program Director, Open Society Institute, Warsaw, Poland

  • Nuno Capaz, Sociologist, Instituto da Droga e da Toxicodepência, Portugal (invited)
  • Nanna Gotfredson, The Street Lawyers, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Danny Kushlick, Head of Policy and Communications, Transform Drug Policy Foundation, Bristol, UK
  • Fabrice Olivet, Auto-Support des Usagers de Drogues, Paris, France
  • Craig Reinarman, Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Fraser Shaw, PhD, Consultant, Glasgow Addiction Services, Alexandria, Scotland
  • Slawomir Sierakowski, Founder and Editor, Krytyka Polityczna (The Political Critique), Poland

 

Si, Se Puede: New Mexico as a National Harm Reduction Model [panel] (back to top)

New Mexico is a model for the nation in developing a comprehensive harm reduction strategy with a focus on extensive coverage and cooperation among agencies. Since the passage of the Harm Reduction Act in 1997, New Mexico has promoted numerous public policy initiatives and implemented a range of harm reduction services including statewide syringe exchange programs, overdose prevention trainings, and widespread distribution of the overdose reversal drug, naloxone. This discussion will provide an overview of harm reduction efforts in New Mexico and demonstrate the state’s integrative collaborations with the Dept. of Health, community-based organizations, neighborhoods, police departments, and religious groups. 

Moderator: Reena Szczepanski, State Director, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM

  • Jeanne Block, RN, MS, Project Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico; Harm Reduction Contract Nurse, NM Dept. of Health, Santa Fe, NM
  • Mary Murphy, Suboxone Program Coordinator, NM Dept. of Health, Albuquerque, NM
  • Jimmy Schrock, Harm Reduction Program Coordinator, NM AIDS Services, Albuquerque, NM
  • Teresa Williams, Health Educator, NM Dept. of Health, Albuquerque, NM
  • Dominick Zurlo, Harm Reduction and Medical Cannabis Program Manager, NM Dept. of Health, Albuquerque, NM

 

Taking the Profit out of the Drug War [panel] (back to top)

How do misguided financial incentives lead to punitive drug policies? What are some of the ways that people, government agencies, and corporations profit from the war on drugs? Panelists will discuss civil asset forfeiture, the federal Byrne Grant program, private prisons, prison guards’ unions, and the role of snitches and paid informants in the criminal justice system – with a focus on what audience members can do in their community to reduce drug war profiteering. 

Moderator and Panelist: Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, Deputy State Director, Southern California, Drug Policy Alliance

  • Scott Bullock, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice, Arlington, VA
  • Matt Fogg, LEAP Speaker, Former US Marshal
  • Nsombi Lambright, Executive Director, ACLU of Mississippi, Jackson, MS
  • Paul Wright, Editor, Prison Legal News, West Brattleboro, VT

 

Expanding the Definition of Treatment: What Works [roundtable] (back to top)

Most of us agree on the principle that “treatment instead of incarceration” is preferable, but what do we mean by “treatment?” While some people succeed in ending problematic drug use with “12-step” or similar programs, the vast majority of people do not. Why don’t traditional treatment approaches work for many individuals or communities? How can we reframe what “treatment” means in policy and advocacy discussions? What defines success, what works, and why aren’t we calling it treatment?

Facilitator: Patt Denning, Director of Clinical Services, Harm Reduction Therapy Center, San Francisco, CA

  • G. Alan Marlatt, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
  • Onaje Muid, Clinical Associate Director, Reality House, Long Island, NY
  • Dave Purchase, Chair, North American Syringe Exchange Network and Director, Point Defiance AIDS Projects
  • Maureen Rule, MA, LPCC, Program Coordinator, Tierra del Sol, Albuquerque, NM

 

Ibogaine: Medical Practice, Science, and African Heritage [panel] (back to top)

The discovery of ibogaine’s use as an anti-addictive agent was made by drug users in the 60s, and since then its use in treating chemical dependence has been championed by drug user advocates in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Slovenia, Gabon and South Africa. Major above-ground clinics are thriving from Mexico to South Africa, clinical trials are pending in Israel and India, and new clinical research is being contemplated in New Zealand, S. Africa, and South America for indications from addiction to hepatitis C.  What are ibogaine’s potential benefits to society? And what are hindrances to manufacturing, accessing, and researching this unique substance?

Moderator: Howard S. Lotsof, President, Dora Weiner Foundation, Staten Island, NY

  • Anwar Jeewa, Director, Minds Alive, Durban, South Africa
  • Jeffrey Kamlet, MD, Fellow, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Miami, FL
  • Moughenda Mickala, Iboga House, Detroit, MI
  • Dimitri Mobengo Mugianis, Freedomroot / Voices of Community Advocates and Leaders (VOCAL), Brooklyn, NY
  • Clare Wilkins, Director, Ibogaine Association, Tijuana, Mexico

  

4:45 – 6:00 pm

PLENARY: Special guest former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson

 

7:00 – 10:00 pm

Film Festival

Screening of selection from "The Acid Chronicles" by Linda Marsa

 

The outlawed miracle elixir that once cured alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness and may yet do so again in the 21st century. A sweeping saga of discovery, disillusion and renewed hope, "The Acid Chronicles" is a five-part series that spans half a century of psychedelic revelation, ranging from the post-World War II explosion of hallucinogen research and experimentation among scientists, intellectuals, spiritual seekers and the CIA, the reckless recreational use in the ‘60s that led to its prohibition, to today’s renaissance as physicians test psychedelics to heal serious psychiatric afflictions.

Screening of NIMBY

Screening of "Tulia, TX"

7:00 – 10:00 pm

Heffter Research Institute Reception

The reception is open to anyone interested in the most cutting edge projects in psychedelic research and what the Heffter Research Institute is doing. We will be talking about our current projects at Johns Hopkins, NYU and Zürich. It will be educational and informative, with an opportunity for anyone interested, to meet the world's most prominent psychedelic researchers.

 

Conference Sponsors & Co-Hosts

  • ACLU logo
  • Berkeley Patients Group
  • Harm Reduction Coalition
  • Leap Logo
  • Libra Logo
  • OSI Logo
  • MAPS Logo
  • Marijuana Policy Project
  • Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Drug Policy Alliance