{"id":1280,"date":"2023-09-15T22:42:31","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T22:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/?p=1280"},"modified":"2024-06-10T22:43:43","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T22:43:43","slug":"should-hard-drugs-be-decriminalized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/2023\/09\/15\/should-hard-drugs-be-decriminalized\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Hard Drugs Be Decriminalized?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\"college
\nCenter for Policy Studies
\nPublic Affairs Discussion Group<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Should Hard Drugs Be Decriminalized?<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n
\n

\"headshot\"<\/p>\n

Michael W. Clune, Ph.D. – Samuel B. and Virginia C. Knight Professor of the Humanities, Department of English<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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\"headshot\"<\/p>\n

Lee Hoffer, Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Anthropology and Professor of Psychiatry<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
Friday September 15, 2023
\n12:30-1:30 p.m.
\nMeeting Both In-Person and by Zoom
\nDampeer Room, Second Floor of Kelvin Smith Library<\/strong><\/span>*<\/strong><\/span>
\nCase Western Reserve University<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Colleagues:<\/span><\/p>\n

Marijuana possession and sales are becoming legal, or less illegal (\u201cdecriminalized\u201d) in many states \u2013 so much that corporations need<\/span>\u00a0a guide<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0to what their own policies can be. As we discussed last week, Ohio will vote on an initiative to regulate cannabis like alcohol on November 7. As\u00a0Lee Hoffer<\/strong>\u00a0discussed with us on March 3, there is growing interest in medical use of psychedelics such as psilocybin, with research restrictions drastically reduced in recent years. Bipartisan efforts have reduced mandatory sentences for drug (mostly cannabis) use both at the<\/span>\u00a0federal<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0state<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0levels.<\/p>\n

The side-effects of the \u201cwar on drugs\u201d are legion, and it has been a long time since it looked like much of a success. One Brookings Institution<\/span>\u00a0commentary<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0in 2021 noted that, \u201cthe War on Drugs, not the war in Afghanistan, is America\u2019s longest war\u2026 [it] has been a staggering policy failure\u2026 [but]\u2026has been wildly successful in one specific area: institutionalizing racism.\u201d But a lot of this argument is based on marijuana restrictions, and even if legalization or decriminalization makes sense for cannabis,\u00a0should this decriminalization extend to the more commonly used \u201chard\u201d drugs like heroin and cocaine?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in 2016,<\/span>\u00a0polling data<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0showed that most respondents saw a big difference between cannabis and other drugs. In April the\u00a0Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0published<\/span>\u00a0Michael Clune\u2019s answer<\/u><\/span><\/a>: no, these drugs should not be decriminalized, because \u201cI know, from my own experience with addiction that legal consequences can play an essential role in pushing people towards a path to recovery.\u201d The occasion was the reissue of Professor Clune\u2019s memoir of his heroin experience,\u00a0White Out<\/em>, a superb book (in my own opinion) that the\u00a0New Yorker<\/em>\u00a0review thought<\/span>\u00a0might be a bit too good<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0at making readers understand smack\u2019s hold on its users.<\/p>\n

Advocates for decriminalization were encouraged when in 2020 voters in Oregon passed, by a 17% margin, Measure 110, \u201cwhich eliminated criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of any drug, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.\u201d Advocates also had long been able to point to the experience of Portugal, which substantially decriminalized in 2001. During the first decade or more of the policy many observers considered it a rousing success (see this 2009<\/span>\u00a0Cato Institute report<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0for one example). Yet experience in Oregon<\/span>\u00a0\u201chasn\u2019t gone as planned,\u201d<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0while, perhaps due in part to pressures from the pandemic, the situation in Portugal also does not seem as positive. As an<\/span>\u00a0article<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0Washington Post<\/em>\u00a0recently reported, much greater public visibility of drug use led the mayor of Porto, the nation\u2019s second largest city, to comment that, \u201cthese days in Portugal, it is forbidden to smoke tobacco outside a school or a hospital. It is forbidden to advertise ice cream and sugar candies. And yet, it is allowed for [people] to be there injecting drugs. We\u2019ve normalized it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearly Professor Clune\u2019s doubts about decriminalization of hard drugs are widely shared. Yet the flaws of the \u201cwar on drugs\u201d are also well-known, and are among the reasons why Professor Hoffer does not agree. Both of our speakers have given brilliant presentations to the \u201cFriday Lunch\u201d; it will be a great pleasure to welcome them together for what should be a highly enlightening discussion.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In-Person and Virtual Attendance<\/h3>\n

In order to make it easy for people to protect themselves and still participate, the meetings can be attended on Zoom. Participants can register for each meeting in the same way they did for the past three years. The link is posted below.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The discussion begins at 12:30 p.m., but the room should be open no later than Noon. We try to have beverages and refreshments set up soon after that. Participants should be able to sign on to Zoom also by Noon. But please remember not much will be happening online until the talk begins at 12:30 pm. Please also be prepared to show identification when entering Kelvin Smith Library.<\/p>\n

Zoom participants should speak up when asked for questions or comments, or submit thoughts through Zoom\u2019s chat function. Please keep yourself muted until you are choosing to speak.<\/p>\n

Each week we will send out this newsletter with information about the topic. It will also include a link to register (for free) for the discussion.<\/strong>\u00a0When you register, you will automatically receive from the Zoom system the link to join the meeting. If you do not get the newsletter, you should also be able to get the information each Monday by checking<\/span>\u00a0http:\/\/fridaylunch.case.edu<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0Then if you choose you can use the contact form on that website to request the registration link.<\/span><\/p>\n

This week’s Zoom link for registration is:<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/cwru.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/tJEkduqpqj0oG9QGWrHpgaOLhY4QmKaqCtVV<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.<\/p>\n

Please also e-mail<\/span>\u00a0padg@case.edu<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0if you have questions about arrangements or any suggestions. Or call at 216 368-2426 and we’ll try to get back to you. We are very pleased to be partnering this semester with the<\/span>\u00a0Siegal Lifelong Learning Program<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to share information about the discussions.<\/p>\n

Best wishes for safety and security for you and yours,<\/p>\n

Joe White
\nLuxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

About Our Guests<\/span><\/h3>\n

Michael W. Clune<\/strong>\u00a0is the critically acclaimed author of the memoirs\u00a0Gamelife<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0White Out: The Secret Life of Heroin<\/em>. His academic books include\u00a0Writing Against Time<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0American Literature and the Free Market<\/em>. Clune\u2019s work has appeared in venues ranging from\u00a0Harper\u2019s<\/em>,\u00a0Salon<\/em>, and\u00a0Granta<\/em>, to\u00a0Behavioral and Brain Sciences<\/em>,\u00a0PMLA<\/em>, and the\u00a0Chronicle of Higher Education<\/em>. He is currently Samuel B. and Virginia C. Knight Professor of the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University, and lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee Hoffer<\/strong>\u00a0is a cultural \/ medical anthropologist who does research on illegal drug use and substance use disorder. His work has informed a range of topics, including; HIV risk behaviors of drug injectors, understanding the misuse of medications, the diagnosis of substance use disorders, drug policy and community-based intervention studies. His research currently focuses on understanding, monitoring, and predicting trends in drug use, as well as studying how illicit drug markets, and drug acquisition, influence the lives of people who use drugs. In addition to his research endeavors, Dr. Hoffer has on-going collaborations with and provides technical support services to local community health care providers seeking to reduce the harms associated with drug use.<\/span><\/p>\n

* Kelvin Smith Library requires all entrants to show identification when entering the building, unless they have a university i.d. that they can magnetically scan. We are sorry if that seems like a hassle, but it has been Library policy for a while in response to security concerns. Please do not complain to the library staff at the entrance, who are just doing their jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Schedule of Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

September 22: Forty Years of AIDS Research and Care.<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0Michael M. Lederman, MD<\/strong>, LSMFT, Scott R. Inkley Emeritus Professor of Medicine.<\/p>\n

September 29: Why Not to Panic About A.I.<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0Kalle Lyytinen, Ph.D.<\/strong>, Iris S. Wolstein Professor of Management Design.\u00a0Alternate Room: Mather House 100<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

October 6: COVID-\u201923 and Beyond.<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0David H. Canaday, MD<\/strong>, Professor of Infectious Disease and Associate Director of Research for the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Cleveland VA.<\/p>\n

October 13: To Be Determined.<\/strong>\u00a0Alternate Room: Mather House 100<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

October 20: One Semester Away from Crisis: Small Colleges and American Higher Education.<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0Tom Bogart, Ph.D.<\/strong>, Visiting Professor and Chair, Department of Economics.\u00a0Alternate Room: Mather House 100<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

October 27: Storefronts, Communities, and the Changing World of Retail.<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0Michael Goldberg<\/strong>, Associate Professor of Design and Innovation; Executive Director and Associate Vice President, Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n

November 3: Dobbs and Doctors.<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0David N. Hackney MD<\/strong>, Division Director, Maternal Fetal Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland.<\/p>\n

November 10: Who\u2019s Legally Responsible When \u201cSelf-Driving\u201d Cars Go \u201cEyes Off?\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0Cassandra Burke Robertson, JD<\/strong>, John Deaver Drinko \u2013 BakerHostetler Professor of Law.<\/p>\n

November 17: To Be Determined.<\/strong><\/p>\n

November 24: Thanksgiving Break<\/strong><\/p>\n

December 1: Civil-Military Relations in Egypt.<\/strong>\u00a0With\u00a0Dina Rashed, Ph.D.<\/strong>, Associate Dean of the College for Academic Affairs, University of Chicago.<\/p>\n

December 8: To Be Determined.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Visit the\u00a0Public Affairs Discussion Group Web Site.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Center for Policy Studies | Mather House 111 | 11201 Euclid Avenue |
\nCleveland, Ohio 44106-7109 |\u00a0Phone: 216.368.6730 |\u00a0padg@case.edu<\/u><\/span><\/a>\u00a0|
\nPart of the:\u00a0College of Arts and Sciences<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a9 2023 Case Western Reserve University |
\nCleveland, Ohio 44106 | 216.368.2000 |\u00a0legal notice<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Center for Policy Studies
\nPublic Affairs Discussion Group<\/strong><\/p>\n

Should Hard Drugs Be Decriminalized?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael W. Clune, Ph.D. – Samuel B. and Virginia C. Knight Professor of the Humanities, Department of English<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lee Hoffer, Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Anthropology and Professor of Psychiatry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friday September 15, 2023
\n12:30-1:30 p.m.
\nMeeting Both In-Person and by Zoom
\nDampeer Room, Second Floor of Kelvin Smith Library<\/strong>*<\/strong>
\nCase Western Reserve University<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Colleagues:<\/p>\n

Marijuana possession and sales are becoming legal,<\/p>\n

Continue reading… Should Hard Drugs Be Decriminalized?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1280"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1280"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1281,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1280\/revisions\/1281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/fridaylunch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}