Europe and Drug Policy Reform: Stepping Forward or Falling Back?

What's the general state of drug policy reform in Europe?  What's happening in the Netherlands, Hungary, the UK and Eastern Europe?  Is Europe following the same conservative trend that the U.S. is?  Or are various countries making positive strides forward? 

Moderator: Craig Reinarman, PhD, Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA

Panelists:

• Michael Jourdan, Editor, Centre of Alcohol and Drug Research, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Paul Thewissen, MA, LLM, Counselor of Health, Welfare & Sport, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Washington, DC
• Joep Oomen, Coordinator, ENCOD, Antwerp, Belgium
• Sophie Pinkham, Open Society Institute, New York, NY
• Peter Sarosi, Drug Policy Program Director, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Budapest, Hungary
• Sebastian Saville, Executive Director, Release, London, England

Northern Exposure: Cutting-Edge Medical Cannabis Research and Legal Reform in Canada

This panel consists of university and university-affiliated and community-based researchers and advocates exploring the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis.  The panel examines the failures and successes of Canada’s controversial federal medical cannabis program, as well as those of community-based compassion clubs that currently supply medical cannabis to over 11,000 critically and chronically ill Canadians.

Moderator: Philippe Lucas, Director, Vancouver Island Compassion Society, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Panelists:

• Lynne Belle-Isle, M.Sc., Project Consultant, Canadian AIDS Society, Ottawa, Onterio, Canada
• Rielle Capler, Research and Advocacy Coordinator, BC Compassion Club Society, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Andy Hathaway, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Guelph, Guelph, Onterio, Canada
• Kirk Tousaw, JD, LLM, Barrister, Law Office of Kirk I Tousaw, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Integrating Harm Reduction into Public Systems

This panel explores opportunities and successes for integrating harm reduction approaches to substance use, such as overdose prevention/naloxone distribution and sterile syringe access, into existing local public systems. Strategies for collaboration with and among various local and state governmental agencies will be described.

Moderator: Roseanne Scotti, Director, Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey, Trenton, NJ

Panelists:

• Daliah Heller, Director, Chemical Dependency Initiatives, NYC DOHMH, New York, NY
• Bernie Lieving, LMSW, Harm Reduction Program Manager, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM
• Donald MacPherson, Drug Policy Coordinator, City of Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
• Kasia Malinowska-Sempruch, MSW, International Harm Reduction Development Program Director, Open Society Institute, New York, NY

Faith panel

This open discussion is led by two long-time advocates for drug policy reform within faith communities.  They will share insights, experience, and engage the audience in conversation about the ewards and challenges of merging religion and activism.

Presenters:

• Rev. Ed Sanders, Senior Servant, Metropolitan Interdenominational Church Coordinator, Religious Leaders for a More Just and Compassionate Drug Policy, New York, NY
• Chuck Thomas, Executive Director, Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative, Washington, DC

Hepatitis C Integration: How Is It Possible?

This skills-building workshop is designed to help service providers assess their own and other programs and to explore what possible Hepatitis C initiatives they can introduce into their existing services.  Participants will learn how to utilize the untapped potential of peer educators and support groups, how to implement hepatitis screening and vaccination services that work for their program and participants, and how they can incorporate Hepatitis C prevention messages that really count.  Service providers will explore how to build relationships with other programs that can complement their own and create a Hepatitis C Network in their own neck of the woods.

Presenters:

• Donald Davis, New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYRHE), New York, NY
• Narelle Ellendon, RN, HCV Director, Harm Reduction Coalition, New York, NY

Bridging the Gap: Drug User Organizing

We are all in some respects drug users, but not all of us identify as such – especially in our public lives and advocacy.  What are the barriers to user organizing in the United States?  What has been the experience of those in Europe?  User advocates, as well as active and former users, discuss what it takes to give this population a voice.

Moderator: Matthew Curtis, Program Officer, Open Society Institute, New York, NY

Panelists:

• Stijn Goossens, Executive Director, International Network Of People Who Use Drugs, Borgerhout
• Louie Jones, IDU Advocacy Coordinator, Vocal, NY Users Union, Brooklyn, NY
• Berne Stalenkrantz, Chairman and Project leader, Swedish Drug Users Union (SDUU), Johanneshov, Sweden

To Snitch or Not to Snitch? Diverse Viewpoints on the Role of Informants in American Drug Law Enforcement

Whether you would like people to Stop Snitching or Start Snitching, this panel might give you something new to consider. Panelists discuss the historical, social and political significance of the institution of snitching in American drug law enforcement. Take this opportunity to interact with the experts, learn what advocacy and organizing is moving forward around the country, and find out how you can get involved.

Moderator: Davey D, hip-hop journalist, historian, deejay and community activist, Berkeley, CA

Panelists:

• Ethan Brown, Writer, New Orleans, LA
• Marc Hill, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urban Education & American Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Fundraising: Getting to "Yes": How to Get a Positive Response From Foundations and Your Online Supporters   

What are the top things you need to do—and not do—in order to secure funding from foundations?  Should you hold a major fundraising dinner or do door-to-door canvassing?  Fundraising experts in the room will answer your questions on all aspects of fund development, with the goal of helping small organizations get the most of their limited fundraising resources.

Presenters:

• Asha Bandele, Director, Advocacy Grants Program, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY
• David Glowka, Grant Writer, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, DC
• Clovis Thorn, Director of Development, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY

The DEA War on Medical Marijuana

The federal government’s prohibition on marijuana burdens researchers, scientists, and patients.  This roundtable explores the Drug Enforcement Administration’s efforts to thwart medical marijuana research and interfere with the implementation of state sanctioned medical marijuana programs. 

Moderator: Allen Hopper, JD, Litigation Director, ACLU Drug Law Reform Project, Santa Cruz, CA

Panelists:

• Jag Davies, Director of Communications, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS),  Ben Lomond, CA
• Don Duncan, Executive Director, Americans for Safe Access Foundation, Oakland, CA
• Dale Gieringer, Director, California NORML, Berkeley, CA
• Reena Szczepanski, Director, Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM
• Steph Sherer, Executive Director, Americans for Safe Access, Washington, DC
• Ray Warren, Director of State Policies, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington, DC

AIDS and Drug Policy in the South: Working Towards a New Bottom Line

HIV/AIDS continues to ravage communities across the nation, and the South has been particularly hard hit. Fueled by mass-incarceration, poverty, racism, violence against women and stigma, the virus is spreading, especially in communities of color and poor communities. How does drug policy impact the epidemic and efforts to end it in the South? Is the fight to end AIDS different in the South than in the North, and if so, how? What harm reduction strategies are being employed in the South, and to what effect? What does it look like to push the envelope on fighting the epidemic in the Bible Belt? How do funding priorities set by government agencies and foundations shape the political agendas to fight the epidemic? Panelists explore these questions, share lessons learned, and engage the audience in question and answers.

Moderator: James Learned, Manager of Operations and Programs, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), New York, NY

Panelists:

• Ron Crowder, BBA, Executive Director, Street Works, Antioch, TN
• Laura Hall, Representative, Huntsville, AL
• Kathie Hiers, Chief Executive Officer AIDS Alabama,  Birmingham, AL
• Bishop Joyce Turner Keller, Doctor of Divinity, CEO, Executive Director, Aspirations Wholistic Tutorial Services, Baton Rouge, LA
• Valencia Robinson, AIDS Action in Mississippi, Jackson, MS

Buprenorphine: Thinking Outside the Box

This presentation provides an introduction to the basics of buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid addiction and addresses the challenges to widespread dissemination and offers suggestions for overcoming the barriers.

Presenter: Sharon Stancliff, MD, Medical Director, Harm Reduction Coalition, New York, NY

Campus Change Campaign: Colleges as Laboratories for Reform

Throughout American history, college campuses have played an integral role in moving public consciousness forward on pressing social concerns. Within the drug policy reform movement, Students for Sensible Drug Policy is working to cause a shift in drug policy paradigms on campuses across North America.  By shifting policies away from a prohibitive framework and toward a harm-reduction framework, members of SSDP are creating models of what sensible drug policy can look like at the local level. Hear from SSDP members who have faced challenges and had successes, and learn how you can change drug policy on your campus.

Mandatory Attendance Required for SSDP Members.

Presenters:

• Anastacia Cosner, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, College Park, MD
• Daniel Cornelious Jr., Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Norwich, CT
• Micah Daigle, Field Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington, DC

Around the World in 90 Minutes

What’s going on with drug policy and reform efforts around the world?  Is widespread opposition to the Bush administration’s foreign policies having any impact on drug policies abroad?  Where are reform efforts gaining ground, or suffering setbacks?  Will anything of significance happen at the next United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs in Vienna in 2008?  And how can reformers best influence the future of global drug control policy?

Restoring Education: the Fight to Repeal the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty

In 1998, Congressman Mark Souder wrote the Aid Elimination Penalty into the Higher Education Act, which would take financial aid away from hundreds of thousands of students over the next nine years.  During those years, SSDP, DRCnet, and other organizations worked to build a coalition for reform and successfully convinced Congress to scale back the law in 2006.  Panelists discuss the continuing efforts to repeal the law entirely through litigation and legislation.

Mandatory Attendance Required for SSDP Members.

Moderator: Kris Krane, Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington, DC

Panelists:

• Tom Angell, Government Relations Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Washington, DC
• Shawn Heller, JD, Attorney, Miami, FL
• Adam Wolf, JD, Staff Attorney, ACLU Drug Law Reform Project, Santa Cruz, CA
• Representative of Brown University SSDP

Engaging with Law Enforcement: Prevention, Monitoring and Response

Needle exchange programs and other initiatives that liberalize access to clean injection equipment are among the most cost-effective approaches to combating HIV transmission. However, many US states have laws that restrict sale and possession of injection equipment or criminalize trace amounts of drugs. Even when these laws are changed, law enforcement practice often impedes harm reduction initiatives, limiting their impact.

Presenters:

• Basha Closic, Program Director, Brandywine Counseling, Inc., Wilmington, DE;
• Corey Davis, JD, Legal Project Coordinator, Prevention Point Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Beyond Prohibition: Describing a Drug War Exit Strategy

Is a world beyond prohibition possible?  What would it look like?  For those craving concrete and workable alternatives, this discussion considers the many regulatory options and impediments to – and opportunities for – putting these into practice.

Moderator: Roger Goodman, State Representative, Washington State Legislature, Seattle, WA  

Panelists:

• Maria Lucia Karam, Retired judge, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Eugene Oscapella, Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Fredrick Polak, MD, psychiatrist, Netherlands Drug Policy Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
• Stephen Rolles Transform Drug Policy Foundation, Bristol, United Kingdom
• Alex Wodak, MD, Director, Alcohol & Drug Services, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales

Resistencia y la Reducción del Daño: Challenging the U.S. War on Drugs in Latin America

Latin America is one of the regions most affected by global prohibition.  It is also home to an active debate about drug policy and a laboratory for many innovative approaches to reducing the harms of drug misuse.  This panel introduces some of the major developments in Central and South American drug policy, from an elite and grassroots perspective.  Such policies include: harm reduction wok at the community level; the licit cultivation of coca for ritual, medicinal, and industrial purposes; challenges to aerial fumigation of coca and other illicit crops; and a greater understanding of public health approaches to global substance abuse.  

Moderator: Sanho Tree,

Director and Fellow, Drug Policy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, Washington DC

Panelists:

• Luciana Boiteux de Figueiredo Rodrigues, PhD, Attorney and Associate Professor, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  
• Pablo Cymerman, Advocacy Coordinator, Psychologist, Intercambios Asociación Civil, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Ricardo Soberón Garrido, J.D., M.A, Consultant/Analyst for Security, Drugs and the Amazon, Política Internacional y Seguridad, Lima, Peru – INVITED
• Luiz Guanabara, Activist/Researcher, Psicotrópicas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Nancy Sanchez Mendez, Researcher/Activist, the Association for the Promotion of Social Alternatives (MINGA), Putumayo and Bogotá, Colombia
• Representative of Evo Morales Ayma, President of the Republic of Bolivia

Working with Youth: In Policy, Programs, and the Decisions That Affect Their

Youth are often treated as passive recipients of health, addictions, and substance use services.  This session outlines the reasons why young people can achieve greater health when engaged in the design and delivery of services and policy that affects their lives.

Presenter:

• Caitlin Padgett, Hella Life Experience, Youth Advocate Extraordinaire, San Francisco, CA

Public Safety and Drugs: A New Paradigm Called Justice

While the drug war has been acknowledged as a failed policy by nearly all sides, the vehicle for communities to challenge how the “war on drugs” is waged and to present alternative policies to the war on drugs is nearly non-existent. Over the last 30 years, public outcry for public safety has often resulted in “lock‘em up” laws and policing strategies. While failing to establish appropriate public safety benchmarks, this model has, among other things, successfully driven the creation of the prison industrial complex, marked by mass incarceration, devastating racial disparities, and the creation of an “ex-felon” underclass. What are ways to develop and advance community-based strategies for addressing public safety which center the community in the problem-solving process? Finding new ways to discuss and address community problems may be what is needed to uncover real solutions.

Moderator: Robert Rooks, MSW, OSW Fellow, Justice Strategies, DeSoto, TX

Panelists:

• Rosana Cruz, Co-Director, Safe Streets/Strong Communities, New Orleans, LA
• Lorenzo Jones, Executive Director, A Better Way Foundation, Hartford, CT
• John Powell
• P. David Soares, Albany County District Attorney, Office of the Albany County District Attorney, Albany, NY