Deal Us In
What You Need To Know
Drug decriminalization means that people are no longer arrested or incarcerated for drugs for personal use, saves lives and money.*
Savings can go towards needed services and support. This includes voluntary treatment, housing, employment, harm reduction, recovery services, and peer support. Evidence shows that investing in these services helps people thrive.*
Drug decriminalization does not legalize drugs.
Possession of even small amounts of drugs can have lifelong consequences. This includes preventing a person from getting a job, a student loan, or a place to live.
Research from the Pew Charitable Trusts shows that locking more people up for using drugs did not deter drug use, failing to decrease arrests or overdose deaths.
People are also at increased risk of fatal overdose upon release from jail or prison, up to 27 times more than the general public.
Only 1 in 13 people who were arrested and had a substance use disorder received treatment while in jail or prison.
Although Black people are only 14% of the population and Black and white Americans use illegal drugs at similar rates, about one in four people arrested for drug law violations are Black.
Where to Go for More Information
Fact Sheet: The Real Causes and Solutions to Public Suffering, Including Public Drug Use
The drug war harms everyone and touches every aspect of life.
Framework for Federal Drug Decriminalization, Shifting to a Public Health Approach
Principles and Metrics for Evaluating Drug Decriminalization