Skip to page content

Drug Policy and Trends

Featured

RAND researchers provide objective analyses of problems and policies related to illegal drugs—including nonmedical use of prescription drugs, marijuana legalization or decriminalization, racial disparities in drug-related incarceration rates, community prevention efforts, and strategies for reducing drug-related violence in Mexico and Central America.

Report
America's Opioid Ecosystem
Patterns and consequences of opioid use are changing dramatically. Researchers provide a nuanced assessment of America's opioid ecosystem, highlighting how leveraging system interactions can reduce addiction, overdose, suffering, and other harms.
Mar 16, 2023
News Release
Frequent Alcohol Testing Combined with Swift and Certain Sanctions Is Associated with Lower Death Rates
A statewide alcohol-monitoring program that requires people arrested for drunk driving and other alcohol-involved offenses to be tested frequently for alcohol use can reduce the likelihood that participants die for several years after their involvement with the program.
Feb 28, 2023

Explore Drug Policy and Trends

Journal Article
Traditions and Connections for Urban Native Americans (TACUNA): Utilizing Community-Based Input to Develop an Opioid Prevention Intervention for Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Emerging Adults
Very few opioid prevention programs exist for urban Native American emerging adults. Community participation enhances opioid prevention programs for urban Native Americans. Engaging in Native American traditional practices promotes healthy behaviors.
Jun 21, 2023
Journal Article
Integrating Traditional Practices and Social Network Visualization to Prevent Substance Use: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Among Urban Native American Emerging Adults
A community-informed and culturally grounded opioid prevention intervention can be developed for urban AI/AN emerging adults and can help to build resilience and hopefully decrease opioid use among this underserved population.
Jun 21, 2023
Journal Article
Risk and Protective Factors of Social Networks on Alcohol, Cannabis, and Opioid Use Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Emerging Adults
A higher proportion of network members engaging in traditional practices but not heavy substance use was associated with lower intentions to use cannabis or drink alcohol. Traditional practices may be an important part of prevention.
Jun 16, 2023
Journal Article
Social Networks of Clients in First-Time DUI Programs
Individuals convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) having networks with more substance use individuals had greater substance use and drinking and driving behaviors. Network support was associated with lower drinking and driving.
Jun 15, 2023
Journal Article
State Policy and the Breadth of Buprenorphine-Prescriber Networks in Medicaid Managed Care
Researchers used a diff-in-diff approach to compare three Medicaid Managed Care networks for buprenorphine providers across specialties and market segments within the same state.
Jun 14, 2023
Journal Article
Prevalence of Buprenorphine Providers Requiring Cash Payment From Insured Women Seeking Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Researchers used an audit (simulated patient) study methodology to examine appointment-granting behavior by buprenorphine prescribers in ten different U.S. states.
Jun 14, 2023
Journal Article
Feasibility of a Computer-Assisted Social Network Motivational Interviewing Intervention to Reduce Substance Use and Increase Supportive Connections Among Emerging Adults Transitioning from Homelessness to Housing
Results suggest that a substance use intervention using Motivational Interviewing and social network visualizations is acceptable to youth transitioning to housing from and can be feasibly delivered by case managers during case management sessions.
Jun 13, 2023
Commentary
State and Local Policy Is Changing for Psychedelics. What Will the Feds Do?
Psychedelics are attracting interest as a treatment for some mental health conditions. In response, some states and cities are changing their laws and policies on the supply and use of these mind-altering substances. But like cannabis, most psychedelics are federally prohibited—raising some tough questions for the federal government.
Jun 12, 2023
Journal Article
Association of Selected State Policies and Requirements for Buprenorphine Treatment With Per Capita Months of Treatment
State-mandated educational requirements beyond the initial training required to prescribe buprenorphine were associated with increased buprenorphine use over time.
Jun 8, 2023
Report
Onderzoek Experiment Gesloten Coffeeshopketen: Rapportage voormeting 2021: [Study in support of the Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment: Pre-measurement report 2021]
The document reports on cannabis consumption, the sale of cannabis from tolerated dispensaries (coffeeshops) and the illegal sale of hash and weed in the Netherlands prior to the introduction of an experiment with a legal cannabis supply chain.
May 31, 2023
Blog
Immigration Policy, the Black-White Wealth Gap, ChatGPT: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the challenges facing U.S. immigration policy, what it would take to close America's Black-white wealth gap, risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence, more.
May 26, 2023
News Release
State Policies Requiring Education for Buprenorphine Prescribers Boosts Use of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
States that want to increase access to buprenorphine, a lifesaving medication used to treat opioid use disorder, should consider efforts to enhance professional education and clinician knowledge.
May 26, 2023
Journal Article
Disparities in Postoperative Opioid Prescribing by Race and Ethnicity: An Electronic Health Records-Based Observational Study from Northern California, 2015-2020
To examine racial and ethnic disparities in postoperative opioid prescribing.
May 24, 2023
News Release
Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Rises After Medicare Expands Coverage for Methadone
The use of methadone among Medicare beneficiaries to treat opioid use disorder increased sharply after the program began covering the drug, with evidence suggesting the change created new treatment rather than displacing use of other medications.
May 19, 2023
Blog
RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research
From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.
May 8, 2023
Journal Article
Buprenorphine Treatment Episodes During the First Year of COVID: A Retrospective Examination of Treatment Initiation and Retention
Buprenorphine treatment remained stable during the pandemic, however the flow of individuals receiving treatment changed significantly, indicating that policy efforts were successful in maintaining existing patients, but did not extend to new patients.
May 2, 2023
Journal Article
A Randomized Trial of Letters to Encourage Prescription Monitoring Program Use and Safe Opioid Prescribing
Researchers conducted a randomized trial to assess whether letters to clinicians increased use of the state prescription monitoring programs (PMP) and decreased risky coprescribing of opioids with benzodiazepines or gabapentinoids.
Apr 20, 2023
Journal Article
Association Between Hospital Adoption of an Emergency Department Treatment Pathway for Opioid Use Disorder and Patient Initiation of Buprenorphine After Discharge
Researchers evaluated the association between hospitals attesting to an emergency department buprenorphine treatment Opioid Hospital Quality Improvement Program (O-HQIP) pathway and patients' subsequent initiation of buprenorphine treatment.
Apr 20, 2023
Blog
Violence in Schools, Neurodiversity and National Security, Drug Cartels: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on preventing school violence, dealing with drug cartels, the benefits of a neurodivergent national security workforce, and more.
Mar 31, 2023
Project
Opioids Uncharted: Mapping America's Opioid Crisis
A RAND initiative to map the underexplored consequences of America's opioid crisis—and discover big-picture solutions.
Mar 21, 2023

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

RAND Topic:
Drug Policy and Trends

Topic Synonyms:
Drug Policy Research

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Samantha Perez Davila

Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, and Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Samantha Perez Davila is a Ph.D. student in the Research, Analysis, and Design stream at Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. She has a master's degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor's in economics and finance.
Armenda Bialas

Research Assistant

Armenda Bialas (she/her) is an adjunct research assistant at the RAND Corporation. She holds a B.S. in psychology from the University of Tampa. Following graduation, she interned at a transitional housing shelter, worked at a men's emergency shelter, and then worked at an agency that supports…

Explore Our People »