Mission
We are a global voice of licensed health professionals advocating for science-based drug policies and best practices that advance public health, reduce stigma, and minimize harm. Vision
Leverage the expertise, compassion, and influence of licensed medical professionals to enact changes in drug policy necessary to improve public health, human rights, social justice, and consumer protections. Promote science-based policies that recognize individual agency, respect bodily autonomy, and assure that people who use drugs are supported instead of punished. Advocate ongoing research and review of drug policies to verify their effectiveness, adapting policies as new evidence emerges. Promote practices for individuals experiencing problematic drug use that are evidence-based, minimize harm, and provide the resources necessary to maintain health and safety. Promote education and prevention efforts to ensure that our patients and the public are provided unbiased information regarding the potential benefits and harms of all drugs, including prevention education for minors. Engage in international collaboration to change global drug-related policies. Repair the harm to public health caused by past support of physicians for the war on drugs. Recognize the importance of Indigenous knowledge holders and the preservation of ancestral wisdom regarding plant medicine. D4DPR Platform
Our Platform will be represented by four overlapping areas of focus. Maximizing Health emphasizes the psychiatric and somatic benefits offered by presently prohibited medications. Harm Reduction provides clear and concise policy statements that will guide our approach to drug use and misuse. Cannabis continues our ongoing work on cannabis regulation and legalization. Psychedelics acknowledges the explosion of clinical research in psychedelic medicine. Maximizing Health
Access to health promoting interventions and treatment, both non-abstinence and abstinence based, to individuals with problematic drug use. Recognition of the potential health benefits of promising Schedule I drugs, including cannabis and psychedelics. Federal protection of licensed medical professionals providing evidence-based treatment with Schedule I drugs consistent with state laws, including the discussion of their benefits and risks. Harm Reduction
Empirically-supported harm reduction efforts (“meeting people where they are”) to promote public safety, protecting both individuals using drugs and society. Protection of the public and individuals through overdose prevention centers, syringe services, naloxone distribution, drug-checking, treatment (including opioid agonist therapies), Good Samaritan laws, and other evidenced-based interventions. Reduction/avoidance of penalties for drug possession and use. Cannabis
Government oversight of commercial cannabis production, testing, distribution, and sales
Detailed labeling of cannabis products with health and safety information
Prevention of non-medical underage cannabis use through:
o Child-resistant packaging
o A ban on packaging, marketing, and advertising that attracts underage users
Cannabis competency for all medical providers
Taxation of adult-use cannabis to fund equity programs for communities harmed by the drug war
Protected rights for limited home cultivation of cannabis
Expungement of cannabis arrests, charges, and convictions from criminal records
Diversity in all sectors of the cannabis industry
Reduce public health risks associated with overcommercialization
Psychedelics
Access to psychedelic medicine for all individuals, regardless of socioeconomic status. Protection of licensed medical professionals utilizing their scope of practice when conducting psychedelic-assisted therapy. Health-care coverage parity for psychedelic medicine. Our board feels passionate about our new path as we embark on this broader trajectory for our organization. We anticipate a comprehensive engagement that will confront the injustices, damages, and the rising toll of fatalities resulting from drug prohibition. We invite you to join us in our endeavor to foster a more empathetic, empirically-based, and deliberate approach to the complexities of drug use and misuse. If you are supportive of this expanded mission, we would also be grateful for a donation to support our efforts at this critical junction in our history. If you are already a dues-paying member, please consider increasing the level of your support.
