During the semester, we will identify historical and sociopolitical issues forming the cornerstone of current drug policy. We will consider how these factors affect our personal drug philosophy, and serve as the driving force behind current use patterns, the opioid crisis, the second/third coming of amphetamines, and systemic racism found in the policing of drug use. We will examine and report on emergent research regarding the effects of substance use on at-risk populations within our society.