drug policy Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

How Washington, Idaho are attempting to reduce increased opioid overdose deaths

By Lauren Gallup March 24, 2023

Rachel Ahrens and Nora Hacker of First United Methodist Church in downtown Tacoma, show off the building's new Narcan vending machine. The medicine inside is free to all and has already saved one person's life, that they know of. Photo by Lauren Gallup.

In downtown Tacoma, Rachel Ahrens said she sees drug use and abuse frequently. “I've personally seen somebody that was just slumped up against the door and looked to be like an overdose,” said Ahrens, who is the building administrator for First United Methodist Church. “I didn't have Narcan at that time, so I wasn't able to administer that. So I had to call 911, for them Read More

Clear Your Record Of Simple Possession? Not That Easy But You Should Try

By Mary Ellen Pitney December 21, 2021

graphic of scales with little bag on one scale

In February 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the State's felony drug possession statute was unconstitutional. This decision, known as State v. Blake, has far-reaching impacts that affect anyone previously convicted of simple possession of a controlled substance. Read More

The Supreme Court Declines To Expand Sentencing Reforms For Crack Cocaine Cases

By NPR News June 14, 2021

The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that some crack cocaine offenders sentenced to harsh prison terms more than a decade ago cannot get their sentences reduced under a federal law adopted with the purpose of doing just that.Read More

How Washington Supreme Court’s Drug Ruling Upends State’s Criminal Justice System

By NWPB News March 14, 2021

Washington State Supreme Court building in Olympia. CREDIT: TONY OVERMAN

For advocates of drug policy reform and those in the world of criminal defense, the ruling “was a much-needed nail in the coffin on the war on drugs,” said Ali Hohman, director of legal services at the Washington Defender Association. Meanwhile, many prosecutors, law enforcement officials and lawmakers are nervous about its implications.Read More