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The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) is a New York City-based non-profit organization with the principal goal of ending the American "War on Drugs". Its goals include nationwide availability of medicinal marijuana, the creation of drug-related public health measures, ending abuses of asset forfeiture, repealing non-violent drug sentences, repealing laws that deny public benefits to people convicted of drug crimes, and the advancement of drug education programs by redirecting most government drug control resources from criminal justice and interdiction to public health and education. The Drug Policy Alliance's executive director is Ethan Nadelmann. The Drug Policy Alliance was formed when the Drug Policy Foundation and the Lindesmith Center merged in 2000.[1]
The DPA was the guiding force behind California's recent law Proposition 36. Prop 36 and the formation of the Drug Courts gave non-violent drug offenders the opportunity to seek treatment in drug rehabilitation programs rather than serve lengthy jail sentences. The Drug Courts also removed unlicensed drug rehabs as options for fulfilling probation requirements, a bold move as unlicensed rehabs were plentiful in California (like Futures Foundation, Inc., in San Jose, California.)
The Drug Policy Foundation, founded in 1986, had office in Washington, D.C, advocated for drug policies which include so called harm reduction–policies, drug laws as in Holland, laws allowing doctors to maintain an addict with a low dose of the additive drug and legalization–making drugs similar to U.S. alcohol laws. [2]
Criticism
A criticism of Prop 36 is that it is not retroactive, persons who had to use unlicensed rehabs prior to the formation of the Drug Courts are not able to have their convictions reheard in court. Additionally, on the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Treatment Programs (ADP) website there are listings for "SACPA-related links," a listing that gives the California Area Indian Health Service link as a friendly site. When contacted, a representative stated that the health service office was, in fact, a federal office and knew nothing about its listing on the state site, knew nothing about Prop 36 and did not endorse it.
Whether or not office policies have changed, that was the Indian Health Service office's position shortly after Prop 36 was passed, and Kurt Klemencic of the ADP stated that Martin Martinez had suggested the federal office's inclusion on the state webpage. Klemencic and the ADP apparently did not research the federal office's stance on state legislation before the website was listed.
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