American Civil Liberties Union

Drug Policy:
The ACLU Drug Law Reform Project is a division of the national ACLU. Our goal is to end punitive drug policies that cause the widespread violation of constitutional and human rights, as well as unprecedented levels of incarceration.


ACLU Membership Conference

Freedom Files - Season 2
Ideological Exclusion

ACLU NewsfeedsACLU News Feed
ACLU Blog
ACLU Podcasts

Drug Policy : Press Releases

Congress Begins Effort to Harm Patients, Undermine Democratic Process in DC (09/29/1999)
WASHINGTON -- A House committee today began the process of trying to undo the results of a free and fair election on a lawful initiative in which an overwhelming majority of District of Columbia voters approved the medical use of marijuana.

Federal Court Allows DC Government to Tally Medical Marijuana Initiative Vote (09/17/1999)
"Today's ruling is a tremendous victory for the First Amendment rights of DC voters and home rule," said Arthur Spitzer, Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area, which had filed the lawsuit last year. "We're delighted that the Federal court has so completely vindicated the rights of District residents." 

New ACLU Report Debunks Workplace Urine Testing, Citing High Costs, Low Dividends, Junk Science (09/01/1999)
NEW YORK -- In a special report issued today, the American Civil Liberties Union is urging corporate America to drop workplace urine testing, citing evidence that the tests do not pay dividends in decreased accidents and absenteeism or increased efficiency and productivity.

ACLU Brings First Federal Challenge to Drug Testing of Students in Academic Courses (08/18/1999)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of two high school juniors who are fighting a policy requiring them to take a urine test for certain academic courses.

Drug Prevention Law Ignores More Effective Alternative, ACLU Tells PA Lawmakers (08/18/1999)
HARRISBURG, PA -- In testimony before a state committee on criminal justice issues, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania opposed a law that would slap a mandatory two-year prison term on anyone convicted of dealing drugs within 1,000 feet of a day-care center, the Bucks County Courier Times reports.

Free Teen Drug Tests In Oregon Worries ACLU (07/07/1999)
MOLALLA, OR -- In a move that has civil liberties advocates worried, a local police department is encouraging parents to bring in their children for free drug testing. The program, offered by the Molalla Police Department, is likely to be expanded to 10 other Oregon cities this year, the Oregonian reported today.

Hair Tests: Unreliable and Discriminatory (06/27/1999)
NEW YORK -- Three years ago, Jerome McCall, 30, was kicked off the police force after failing the Police Department's new hair test for drugs. Samples of his hair tested positive for cocaine, but McCall insists that he is innocent -- and that the tests discriminate against African-Americans, the New York Daily News reported today.

ACLU and Supporters Issue Guide on Medical Marijuana (06/24/1999)
SEATTLE -- The American Civil Liberties Union and two other groups that support an initiative to legalize marijuana for medical use in Washington issued a guide yesterday to explain the law to patients, physicians and others, the Associated Press reported today.

ACLU Urges Congress to Reconsider Destructive Drug War Strategy (06/16/1999)
"Our 85-year experiment with criminal prohibition of drugs has not solved the problems it was meant to solve and has created other serious problems resulting from the excessive and unprincipled use of the government's police power," ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser told the House panel. 

Hair Testing by Schools Intensifies Drug Debate (06/14/1999)
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Despite the fact that the federal government remains unconvinced of the accuracy of hair testing for drugs, the practice is now being adopted by some private schools, The New York Times reported today.

Click to show/hide issues list
Your Local ACLUcongressional scorecardmultimediaforumspublicationssupport usstorecontact