Ethan Nadelmann

Drug policy reformer
Drug Policy Alliance
Ethan Nadelmann has ushered the once-marginal issue of drug legalization onto the center stage of US political debate.

Why you should listen

Once derided as the province of spaced-out collegiate activists, the fight to reform marijuana and other drug laws is becoming increasingly mainstream in the US -- thanks in large part to the Drug Policy Alliance and its founder, Ethan Nadelmann.

Nadelmann believes that America (and the world) is losing the war on drugs, with disastrous implications for marginalized communities, exploding prison populations, and law enforcement in general. His arguments have converted politicians and policy-makers on both sides of the aisle. And the debate is shifting, with US states such as Colorado legalizing marjuana for recreational use, and countries such as Uruguay taking similar steps.

What others say

“Marijuana is not gonna legalize itself.” — Rolling Stone, June 26, 2013

Ethan Nadelmann’s TED talk

17:13

Ethan Nadelmann

Why we need to end the War on Drugs

Posted Nov 2014

More news and ideas from Ethan Nadelmann

Live from TEDSummit 2016

Go behind the scenes at TEDSummit all week, inside the Facebook Live Studio

June 26, 2016

Get exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to TEDSummit inside our Facebook Live Studio. Join some of your favorite TED speakers for conversational interviews — and you can ask them your questions in the comments. See everything on TED’s Facebook page as it happens: Here’s the schedule: Sunday, June 26 4pm Eastern: TED speaker coaches share public-speaking tips Monday, June 27 3:30pm Eastern: Celeste […]

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Live from TEDGlobal

The ebb and flow between nations: A recap of session 3 at TEDGlobal 2014

October 8, 2014

Session 3 of TEDGlobal 2014 took a look at things thatmove across borders, from identity to violence, from money to music. Below, a recap of these moving talks. Filmmaker José Padilha, director of Elite Squad and the remake of RoboCop, talks about a new project about Friendship Bridge, which connects Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. A hotspot for violence, this slim arch […]

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Live from TEDGlobal

The War on Drugs has got to end: Ethan Nadelmann speaks at TEDGlobal 2014

October 7, 2014

“What has the War on Drugs done in the world?” asks Ethan Nadelmann, the founder of the Drug Policy Alliance. He namechecks just a few of its results: cartel violence in Central America, a ballooning global black market, packed prisons throughout the United States. “It’s like it’s my country’s history with alcohol prohibition and Al Capone times 50,” he […]

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