Research Library

Experts from the Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East explore the challenges facing the world’s 36 million refugees and internally displaced people.

Over half of all Americans live in a state where cannabis is legalized. And yet, the federal government has not reclassified marijuana since 1970. According to the Controlled Substances Act, it is considered a “Schedule 1” substance — the same classification as heroin and crack cocaine with no accepted medical use.

Recent attacks by the Yemeni armed militant group, the Houthis, against commercial ships signal new tensions are escalating in the Red Sea and the broader Middle East. A series of events in recent weeks indicate the potential for a broader war in the region — escalating the conflict between Israel and Hamas beyond Gaza.

In the United States, drug overdose deaths are on the rise. In 2022, CDC researchers reported that 110,236 people died from an overdose in a single 12-month period, setting a new record. Synthetic opioid overdose deaths, primarily due to fentanyl, increased nearly 7.5-fold from 2015 to 2021. In Texas, the number of fentanyl-related deaths rose dramatically — from 883 deaths in 2020 to 1,672 deaths in 2021. While Republican lawmakers in Texas have previously opposed harm reduction policies, many have signaled a desire to take policy action to combat the crisis in the 2023 legislative session.

As the tensions at the U.S.-Mexico the border continue, President Biden visited El Paso, Texas on January 8, 2023 to discuss his plan for clamping down on illegal immigration. We discuss the state of U.S. border policy, President Biden’s latest plans, and how the U.S. can mitigate the immigration crisis.

While refugees are not inherently more susceptible to the Covid-19 virus, many live in conditions that leave them highly vulnerable. This special podcast draws from an April 16 webinar hosted by the Baker Institute Roundtable. It features Kelsey Norman, Ph.D., the Kelly Day Fellow in Women’s Rights, Human Rights and Refugees. Listen to the podcast here.