The so-called War on Drugs is often forgotten in the discourse of the Left, yet it is the main impetus for the mass incarceration of poor people and people of color in the U.S., and the U.S. exports its "Drug War" by force around the world.

Pragmatic efforts to end the Drug War by fully supporting good treatment over incarceration are escalating around the country, with numerous mayors signing on with hope of solving budgetary crises by revamping the War on Drugs.

What and where are these efforts, and how and why are they succeeding? How would a legalized or quasi-legalized drug economy look like? And lastly, is there any way to stop high-level drug corruption, such as CIA and DEA complicity in the international heroin and cocaine trades, as well as metropolitan police corruption?

There are questions and there are answers to ending the "War on Drugs" in a way that works out for the economic advantage of poor people and people of color, who have been its primary victims.

The presentation will be conducted in English, and will focus on successful local efforts to change drug laws, such as in Hartford, Connecticut, and Seattle, Washington.
We wish for the participants to take away a deeper understanding of how the Drug War works, and especially increased awareness of exactly how they can help end the Drug War at a local level by supporting budgetary re-prioritizations.
Efficacy has been effective in Connecticut at reaching politicians and media figures with our message through a long-term approach of steady grassroots events and conferences witha persistent message, eventually drawing the attention and even co-sponsorship of the city of Hartford in a massive conference. We've been successfull in showing politicians how ending the drug war is both humane and is the solution to their budgetary woes.
Efficacy has long struggled in expressing the importance of drug policy reform within the larger progressive community, and we wish to change that.