Drug Policy Reformers Awarded in Denver

The Edward M. Brecher Award for Achievement in the Field of Media has been awarded to Phil Smith. This award honors those who have produced the highest quality of journalistic coverage of drug policy and other drug issues.

The Dr. Andrew Weil Award for Achievement in the Field of Drug Education Award was first given in 2005 and recognizes those involved in drug education who have promoted honest, science-based drug education in place of ineffective scare tactics based on myths and deceit. In 2013, the award goes to DanceSafe.

Paul Armentano received the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship, which recognizes scholars, like Alfred Lindesmith, whose personal courage and quality of published research constitute a source of rational inspiration for all who labor in drug policy scholarship.

The Robert C. Randall Award for Achievement in the Field of Citizen Action honors citizens who make democracy work in the difficult area of drug law and policy reform. There are two awards being given this year — one to Steph Sherer and another to Lorenzo Jones.

The H.B. Spear Award for Achievement in the Field of Control and Enforcement is given to those involved in law enforcement who have demonstrated a balanced regard for the needs of enforcement and human compassion. This year's recipient is the Seattle Police Department.

SICAD (the Service Intervention in Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies) and its general director Dr. João Castel-Branco Goulão are the recipients of the Norman E. Zinberg Award for Achievement in the Field of Medicine, which recognizes medical and treatment experts who perform rigorous scientific research and who have the courage to report their findings even though they may be at odds with current dogma.

The Global Commission on Drug Policy is the winner of the Richard J. Dennis Drugpeace Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Drug Policy Reform, which is given to a group or individuals who most epitomize loyal opposition to drug war extremism.

The Justice Gerald Le Dain Award for Achievement in the Field of Law is given to individuals involved in law who have worked within official institutions when extremist pressures dominate government policies. The award is named after Gerald de Lain, the Canadian Supreme Court justice who chaired the nation's landmark Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs. Two awards are being given this year — one to Alison Holcomb and another to the trio of Steve Fox, Mason Tvert, and Brian Vicente.

Videos by: István Gábor Takács and Péter Sárosi