Teaching Drugs: Incorporating Drug Policy into Law School Curriculum

Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, 2020

Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 526

29 Pages Posted: 17 Feb 2020

See all articles by Douglas A. Berman

Douglas A. Berman

Ohio State University (OSU) - Michael E. Moritz College of Law

Jana Hrdinova

Ohio State University (OSU) - Michael E. Moritz College of Law

Ketura Datus

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

Amy Pratt

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

Stephen J. Post

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

Alex Thierer

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

Date Written: February 10, 2020

Abstract

Despite the significant impact of laws and policies surrounding controlled substances, few classes in the typical law school curriculum focus on either basic legal doctrines or broader scholarship in this field. This gap in law school curricula is especially problematic given the shifts in the landscapes of legalized cannabis and hemp, as well as the range of legal and policy responses to the recent opioid crisis. To better understand how law schools currently approach these issues and to identify how drug policy and law could be better incorporated into law school curricula, we conducted two surveys of all accredited law schools in the U.S. and hosted a workshop of legal scholars who work in this space. The surveys and workshop were designed to identify law school courses currently taught and the primary obstacles to teaching this subject matter. The results show that the vast majority of law schools do not teach courses touching on drugs or the evolving legal structures around cannabis, and this is true even for law schools located in states with legalized cannabis markets.

Keywords: drugs, cannabis, controlled substances, curriculum, law schools, criminal justice, teaching, courses

Suggested Citation

Berman, Douglas A. and Hrdinova, Jana and Datus, Ketura and Pratt, Amy and Post, Stephen J. and Thierer, Alex, Teaching Drugs: Incorporating Drug Policy into Law School Curriculum (February 10, 2020). Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, 2020, Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 526, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3535548 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3535548

Douglas A. Berman

Ohio State University (OSU) - Michael E. Moritz College of Law ( email )

55 West 12th Street
Columbus, OH 43210
United States
614-688-8690 (Phone)

Jana Hrdinova (Contact Author)

Ohio State University (OSU) - Michael E. Moritz College of Law

55 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Ketura Datus

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

55 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Amy Pratt

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

55 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Stephen J. Post

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

55 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

Alex Thierer

Ohio State University (OSU), Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Students

55 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
United States

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