Building Bridges Across Movements

Since 2001, the International Drug Policy Reform Conference has gathered people across disciplines working to end the drug war. We’ve hosted over 10 biennial events attended by thousands of people from more than 50 countries. Many attendees have been impacted by the drug war and supported through our scholarship program.

Our Advocacy Grants Program has awarded 625 grants to 190 unique drug policy reform organizations since 2005. Grants support innovative harm reduction projects, public education initiatives, and other advocacy efforts aligned with our agenda. DPA provided some of the earliest funding to impacted communities such as drug user unions and formerly incarcerated people.

We build broad alliances to ensure everyone has a seat at the table to end the drug war. We’re a founding member of the Drug Policy Reform Working Group of the Justice Roundtable. This large coalition works to end drug criminalization at the federal level. We convene allies nationwide on key issues such as the Marijuana Justice Coalition, Decrim Table, and overdose prevention center advocates. Our partnerships bring together drug policy-focused organizations as well as civil rights, criminal justice, immigration, and directly impacted-led organizations.

DPA’s Department of Research and Academic Engagement advocates for evidence-based research and effective drug policies. We’ve hosted dozens of events sharing research from experts, reaching thousands of people. We host the Network of Drug Researchers with Lived Experience (NDRLE), a forum exploring vital issues. Large National Institutes of Health-funded grants and other associations seek us out as advisors. And we have a track record of publishing analyses and research. Our work appears in reputable peer-reviewed research journals including the Annals of Medicine and the Journal of Urban Health.