New Directions New Orleans: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drug Policy

In just a few days, law enforcement, judges, public health workers and more drug policy stakeholders will attend a conference in Louisiana to discuss strategies to move past the drug war and towards a health-conscious approach to drugs. The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with Louisiana having the highest rate in the US. The war on drugs has not just effected the incareration rate, economy, and public trust, but it has ruined many lives with it's strict hold on non-violent offenders.

    “Last year Louisiana residents said they oppose long sentences for marijuana possession,” said Marjorie Esman, executive director, ACLU of Louisiana.  “Our laws are unfair, enforced selectively, and they don’t reflect what the public wants.  It’s time to rethink Louisiana’s approach to marijuana sentencing.”