Ethan Nadelmann

Ethan Nadelmann (b. March 13, 1957 in New York City) is the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a New York City-based non-profit organization working to end the war on drugs. He is considered one of the most outspoken advocates of drug legalization.

Biography

Dr. Nadelmann earned B.A., J.D., and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. He taught politics and public affairs at Princeton University from 1987 to 1994. While he was at Princeton, he lectured and wrote extensively on drug policy, attracting considerable attention with his articles in such periodicals as "Science", [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/245/4921/939?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=ethan+nadelmann&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT Drug prohibition in the United States: costs, consequences, and alternatives.] "Science," Vol 245, Issue 4921, 939-947. Accessed on April 30, 2007.] [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/246/4934/1104-b?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=ethan+nadelmann&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT.pdf Response: Drug Decriminalization.] "Science," 1 December 1989: 1104-1105. Accessed on April 30, 2007.] "Foreign Affairs," [http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19980101faessay1362/ethan-a-nadelmann/commonsense-drug-policy.html Commonsense Drug Policy.] "Foreign Affairs," January/February 1998. Accessed on April 30, 2007.] "American Heritage" [http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1993/1/1993_1_41.shtml Should We Legalize Drugs? History Answers.] "American Heritage Magazine." February/March 1993, Volume 44, Issue 1. Accessed on April 30, 2007.] and "National Review". [http://store.nationalreview.com/archives/detail.mhtml?&an=9601317643&qblrb=nadelmann%09anywhere%09%09anywhere%09and%09%09%091%09%09%091%09%09rel The War on Drugs is Lost.] "National Review." 2/12/1996. Accessed on April 30, 2007.] [http://store.nationalreview.com/archives/detail.mhtml?an=9507111845&qblrb=nadelmann%09anywhere%09%09anywhere%09and%09%09%091%09%09%091%09%09rel Switzerland's Heroin Experiment.] "National Review." 7/10/1995. Accessed on April 30, 2007.] [http://store.nationalreview.com/archives/detail.mhtml?an=14736811&qblrb=nadelmann%09anywhere%09%09anywhere%09and%09%09%091%09%09%091%09%09rel The Future of An Illusion.] "National Review." 9/27/2004. Accessed on April 30, 2007.] He also formed the Princeton Working Group on the Future of Drug Use and Alternatives to Drug Prohibition.

Nadelmann founded the Lindesmith Center in 1994, a drug policy institute created with the philanthropic support of George Soros. Six years later the Center merged with the Drug Policy Foundation founded by Kevin Zeese and Arnold Trebach. The merger became the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy group for drug policies "grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights." [ [http://www.drugpolicy.org/about/keystaff/ethannadelma/ Nadelmann's biography] at the Drug Policy Alliance.] The Alliance advocates applying harm reduction principles to the war on drugs. He is one the biggest advocates of drug legalization in modern America.

Quotes

*Who are we? We are people who love drugs. They say we like drugs. It's true. Especially marijuana. Marijuana has been good for us. God put it here for a reason and we need to find a way to live with it in peace. But we are also people who hate drugs. We have suffered from overdoses and addiction. But we know that drugs are here to stay, and prohibition and the criminal justice system is not the way to deal with it. And we are people who don't care about drugs. People who care about the Constitution, who care about 2.2 million Americans behind bars, who care about fundamental rights and freedoms. [ [http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/411/2005dpaconf.shtml Feature: The 2005 International Drug Policy Reform Conference] in Long Beach, California, Nov. 2005.]
*We won't win until the average parent believes drug reform protects kids better than the war on drugs. [Talk to the San Francisco Medical Society, July 25, 2001.]
*"The best answer is to move slowly but firmly to dismantle the edifice of enforcement. Start with the possession and sale of cannabis and amphetamines, and experiment with different strategies. /.../ Removing the ban on possession would make it easier to regulate drug quality, to treat the health effects of overuse, and to punish drug-users only if they commit crimes against people or property." [ [http://www.nationalfamilies.org/legalization/enadelmann.html Ethan Nadelmann,: "Set it Free: The Case For Legalisation Is Difficult, But The Case Against Is Worse," The Economist, July 26, 2001.] ]

Bibliography

*"Cops Across Borders: The Internationalization of U.S. Criminal Law Enforcement". Pennsylvania State University Press, Dec. 1993. ISBN 0271010959
*"Policing the Globe: Criminalization and Crime Control in International Relations", with Peter Andreas. Oxford University Press USA, August 3, 2006. ISBN 0195089480

References

External links

* [http://www.drugpolicy.org Drug Policy Alliance Homepage]
* [http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/198/nadelmann.shtml Article on his 2001 talk] to the San Francisco Medical Society
* [http://www.nationalfamilies.org/legalization/enadelmann.html Ethan Nadelmann, Ph.D] A Guide to the Drug-Legalization Movement