Research Library

Restrictions in Texas' medical cannabis law keep most of the state's patients from participating. Our survey of 2,866 Texas residents who use medical cannabis sought to gain insight into the needs and experiences of this population.

Jim Blackburn, co-director of Rice’s SSPEED Center and a Baker Institute Rice faculty scholar, examines what the city of Houston has done to prepare for flooding and other extreme weather events brought about by climate change since Hurricane Harvey struck Houston more than three years ago.

Health policy experts Kirstin Matthews and Rekha Lakshmanan compare the three COVID-19 vaccines now available from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson and, in a separate infographic, provide an overview of Operation Warp Speed.

Effective drug policy requires acceptance that, for better or worse, licit and illicit drug use is part of our world. The authors recommend several steps the federal government can take to facilitate more pragmatic and effective drug policy at all levels of government.

Over the past decade, anti-vaccine rhetoric and activity have increased in the United States, resulting in decreased vaccination rates and more frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. In this study, researchers use Texas as a case study to determine if vaccine-related legislation became a partisan issue between 2009 and 2019.

In this study, the authors surveyed students in 80 Harris County schools, as well as their parents, to identify external factors that influence academic performance, particularly among students living in poverty. Their findings can be broadly used to better understand the unmet needs of students under current systems of support, and to develop solutions that can give every child an opportunity to succeed.

Changes in Russian natural gas policy point to a new strategy where Gazprom and Novatek follow different operating rules, allowing Russia to adjust to a changing natural gas market. The authors explain how this arrangement is playing out on the world energy landscape.

Through an examination of crime patterns in a major urban center in Latin America — Mexico City— this study contributes to the development of a theoretical and empirical understanding of criminal activity and its correlation with space and time.

This paper outlines proposals that integrate economic development and nature to address our region’s flood problems, as well as structural solutions that serve multiple purposes.

The authors use survey and interview data to evaluate drug treatment options available through the court diversion process for people charged with drug offenses in Harris County, Texas.