One of the most widely believed myths about the harms of marijuana is that it leads to the use of more dangerous drugs. Drug policy experts have debunked this claim and time again, but the “gateway theory” still holds a certain amount of traction, not least because of the misinformation peddled by drug war proponents. […]
Playing to public fear over drugs and crime is a tried and tested formula for electoral success. With the presidential race heating up, one has to wonder if José Serra’s gung ho views on drug interdiction are driven by personal conviction or political calculus. To curb imports of illicit drugs, Serra has called for Brazil […]
A recent blog post from the Open Society Institute cites a staggering figure: Over 90% of Rio de Janeiro’s homeless are addicted to crack. This figure is shocking, even for a city as beset by social problems as Rio. (Though reliable data on drug use and homeless populations in other major cities has proven difficult […]