Ifetayo Harvey

Drug scheduling places substances believed to be harmful and addictive under strict federal control. In 1970, Congress enacted the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which split drug scheduling authority between executive departments to leverage their specialized expertise.

foreword This Collection, which analyzes the legal, social, and political dimensions of drug decriminalization in the context of current debates, comes at a pivotal moment for advocates of drug-policy reform. Two narratives of drug-policy reform have emerged in recent decades. One is a story of swift but fragile gains.

Family separation has long served as a mechanism of social control and punishment in the United States, disproportionately targeting Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized families under the guise of child welfare. Family separation remains the family policing system’s primary intervention in families, including families targeted because one parent is using substances.