Scope

The following sources offer pro and con arguments in the debate over the legalization of drugs. This guide will assist you in finding information about the government's war on drugs, anti-drug laws and drug decriminalization issues. Drug abuse and the related social problems, as well as treatment for drug abuse, are covered by a different research guide titled "Drug Abuse".

Overview

Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics
College Library Reference Collection: BJ 63 A66 1998
Refer to: "Drugs: Moral and Legal Issues" in volume 1, pp 849-858

Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol & Addictive Behavior
College Library Reference Collection: HV 5804 E53 2001

National Survey of State Laws
College Library Reference Collection: KF 386 N38
Refer to: "Illegal Drugs"

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

narcotics and (legaliz* or decriminaliz*)
(drugs or narcotics) and control
(legaliz* or decriminaliz*) and (drugs or marijuana)
war on drugs and united states
marijuana and (medic* or therap*)
cannabis and (legal* or decriminaliz*)
(narcotics or drugs) and Native Americans

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

More Databases:

Business Full Text 1982 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 400 key business periodicals, including trade magazines and scholarly journals, covering all aspects of business. Basic instructions for Business Full Text

CQ Researcher November 1991 - to date (updated weekly)
Contains weekly reports from Congressional Quarterly that cover the most current and controversial issues. Basic instructions for CQ Researcher

General Science Full Text 1984 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 150 popular and scholarly periodicals, as well as the Science section of the New York Times. Subjects include biology, chemistry, earth sciences, environment, nutrition, genetics, medicine and health. Basic instructions for General Science Full Text

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) 1972 - to date (updated quarterly)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, directories, serials, reports of public, intergovernmental and private organizations, and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world. The full-text of the articles is not available in the database. Basic instructions for PAIS

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on Drug Legalization can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

drugs and legaliz?
"drug legaliz?" and "united states"
"drug policy"
marijuana and (law or legislation)
marijuana and therap?

Internet Sites

Office of National Drug Control Policy
The primary purpose of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the nation's drug control program.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States.

National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)
NCJRS is a federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.

Marijuana: Pro-Legalization and Anti-Legalization
A compilation of links to information about pro-legalization, anti-legalization, and the war on drugs, from the DMOZ Open Directory Project, a human-edited directory of the web.

Online Library of Drug Policy
An online library of pro-legalization resources provided through the Drug Reform Coordination Network advocacy group.

Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana
Report provided by an ad hoc group of medical experts to the National Institutes of Health.

Statistics

Illegal Drug Use
Statistics on illegal drug use from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drug Use and Crime
U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics provides statistical information on drug use and drug-related crimes.

Videos

Snitch [videorecording]
College Library Main Book Collection, 3rd Floor, Room 3191:  KF9665 S65 1999

Drug Wars [videorecording]
College Library Main Book Collection: HV5825 D785 2000

Organizations

Drug Prevention Network of the Americas (DPNA)
The DPNA is a nonprofit corporation committed to the education and prevention of drug abuse in the western hemisphere.

Drug Reform Coordination Network
The Drug Reform Coordination Network is a pro-legalization advocacy organization with the goal of reforming U.S. drug laws.

Marijuana Policy Project
MPP is an activist group focusing on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use, with a particular emphasis on medical use.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
NORML is a nonprofit, public-interest lobbying group that supports the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession and responsible use of marijuana by adults.

The Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a non-profit public policy research foundation with a libertarian focus. It is critical of current U.S. drug policy.

Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA)
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a non-profit coalition of professionals from the communications industry. Through its national drug-education advertising campaign and other forms of media communication, the Partnership exists to help young people reject substance abuse by influencing attitudes through persuasive information.