The case Barrett v. Claycomb challenges a Missouri public college’s policy of requiring mandatory, suspicionless drug testing of all newly enrolled students (and those returning after a period of absence) as a condition of continued enrollment in the college at the student’s own expense. The college implemented such a policy despite the fact that it has had no documented drug problems over the course of its 50-year history and no reason to suspect that the students subject to testing have been engaged in the abuse of illegal drugs.

Random drug testing of TANF recipients is costly, ineffective and hurts families.

Over the past ten years opioid overdoses have increased significantly in Massachusetts. Opioids include heroin and prescription drugs such as oxycodone (oxycontin), fentanyl, hydrocodone, codeine, and methadone. In response to this growing problem, the Department of Public Health has implemented a number of projects to reduce the number of overdoses.

In New York City, there is increased media attention and public debate about both marijuana possession arrests and the New York City Police Department practice of "stop-and-frisk." As the number of stops and frisks have increased dramatically, so too have arrests for marijuana possession. Despite the fact that marijuana possession was decriminalized in New York in 1977, marijuana possession is now the number one arrest in New York City. More than 50,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession in 2010 alone, comprising one out of every seven arrests (15 percent).

Despite New York state decriminalizing marijuana possession in 1977, New York City is the marijuana arrest capital of the world. Recent changes in policing practices that take advantage of a loophole in the law led to over 50,000 marijuana possession arrests in 2010 and 2011. This issue brief examines New York's marijuana laws, the impact of policing policy and practices, and solutions that would save the state over $75 million a year.