Research Library

The Texas House of Representatives is considering House Bill 3256, which would legalize syringe exchange programs (SEPs) as a means of reducing the transmission of infectious and communicable diseases among people who inject drugs. On April 25, William Martin, director of the Drug Policy Program, appeared before the Texas House Committee on Public Health to testify in support of HB 3256. Martin also authored an op-ed in TribTalk supporting the establishment of SEPs.

Nonresident fellow Gary J. Hale explains why the U.S. should celebrate Mexico’s constitutional centennial as a marker of the country’s commitment to the principles of democracy and freedom.

The U.S. prosecution of drug kingpin El Chapo Guzman could open a Pandora’s box that exposes corrupt officials in both countries, writes fellow Gary Hale in the Baker Institute Blog.

Understood in its regional context, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs appears to be a continuation rather than a departure from Southeast Asian drug policy.

This blog post examines a Mexican senator's push to amend Mexico's Constitution to emulate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and allow Mexico's citizens to carry handguns for personal protection.

President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia promised that if his administration negotiated peace with the guerrilla group FARC, he would bring the agreement to the people for ratification. But his request for a plebiscite (a type of referendum) quickly turned into a clash between Santos and former President Alvaro Uribe, whose Centro Democrático party is leading a campaign against the agreement. Read more at the Houston Chronicle Blog: http://bit.ly/2cTT8zB

Nonresident scholar Nathan P. Jones analyzes Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman’s transfer to a Mexican prison near the Texas border and how it may impact his possible extradition and prosecution in the U.S.

High cancer drug prices reduce access to therapy, cause treatment abandonment and financial bankruptcies, as well as severe emotional and family distress.