Latin America’s drug policy reform, liberalization topic at Rice’s Baker Institute April 20

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

Latin America’s drug policy reform, liberalization topic at Rice’s Baker Institute April 20

HOUSTON – (April 8, 2015) – A panel of leading experts will discuss the ongoing drug policy reform and liberalization in the Americas and its outlook at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy April 20.

Hosted by the institute’s Vecinos Lecture Series, the event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Who: Panelists: Diego Cánepa, chief of staff to Uruguay President José Mujica; Luis Fernando Carrera, representative of Guatemala to the United Nations; and Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

Erika de la Garza, director of the Baker Institute’s Latin America Initiative, will give welcoming remarks.

William Martin, director of the Baker Institute’s Drug Policy Program and the institute’s Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy, will serve as moderator.

What: Panel on “Drug Policy U-Turns in the Americas: Uruguay, Guatemala and the United States.”

When: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, April 20. Lunch will be served at 11:30 and the presentation begins at noon.

Where: Rice University, James A. Baker III Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

As the debate on drug liberalization in the United States deepens, Latin America has confronted the issue with its own spectrum of policies, according to event organizers. In 2013, Uruguay legalized marijuana and is taking gradual steps toward regulating the new industry. Other countries are now following Uruguay’s lead. Guatemala is considering proposals for the legalization of marijuana and potentially other drugs as well. In February, Jamaica passed legislation to decriminalize marijuana. This event will explore what other changes lie ahead for drug policy in the Americas. Because this region is so embedded in widespread perceptions of drug trafficking and its attendant violence and corrupting influence, these recent reforms signal an important turning point in the path of drug policy for the global community as a whole, organizers said.

The public must register to attend this event at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/register/1709/?submit=RSVP.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

Members of the news media who want to attend must RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 10 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.