Kat Murti, the executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and advocate for evidence-based drug reforms, delves into the complexities of the War on Drugs. She highlights how current policies impact marginalized communities and the importance of harm reduction. Murti discusses successes like fentanyl strip training and the urgency of addressing drug-related stigma, particularly regarding women's rights and health. She also critiques the DEA's scheduling proposals on psychedelics, stressing the need for accessible treatment options over punitive measures.
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Early Influences
Kat Murti's interest in drug policy stemmed from witnessing the War on Drugs' harmful effects.
She saw AIDS patients being arrested for cannabis use and peers facing school-to-prison pipeline issues.
insights INSIGHT
Varied Drug Policies
Drug policy should not look the same everywhere.
Different communities have unique needs, requiring tailored approaches.
insights INSIGHT
Coercion vs. Agency
Coerced treatment is often ineffective and can be harmful.
Respecting individual agency and finding suitable treatment models is crucial.
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In 'Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town', Jon Krakauer delves into the rape culture and the justice system's response to sexual assault cases at the University of Montana. The book examines several high-profile cases, critiquing the ways in which the university, local law enforcement, and the community handle these incidents. Krakauer's work sheds light on the broader societal and institutional factors that contribute to the prevalence of rape and the challenges faced by victims in seeking justice.
In this episode, Joe interviews Kat Murti: executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the largest nationwide network of students fighting to replace the War on Drugs with policies rooted in evidence, compassion, and human rights.
She talks about how she became interested in drug policy, which not surprisingly aligns with the many problems of The War on Drugs: how it’s a war on people, personal liberty, and our communities; how laws are not effective in enforcing morality; and how getting in trouble with the law often incentivizes more illegal activity. We all know that our current system doesn’t work and that the drug war no longer appeals to most reasonable people, but how can we move towards sensible policy? She discusses previous successes (both at SSDP and before), and some of their current projects, from the work they’re doing with fentanyl strip training and distribution, to education work at festivals and their program, “Just Say Know.”
She talks about:
How drug policy isn’t going to look the same everywhere and shouldn’t: How do we effectively use different models in different places together for the benefit of everyone?
The dangers of forcing drug users through drug courts and treatment centers
The repealing of Oregon’s Measure 110 and how it’s unfair to blame its failure on problems that already existed in the state
Their new focus on how the War on Drugs specifically affects women and reproductive rights, inspired by Louisiana recently scheduling Mifepristone and Misoprostol
and much more.
The SSDP’s biggest battle now is fighting the DEA’s attempted scheduling of DOI and DOC, two compounds that have been used in research for decades and pose no real threat to safety – which would drastically derail a ton of research. They just completed a 10-day hearing with the DEA. Watch Joe and Hamilton Morris’ breakdown here, and stay tuned to SSDP and PT for updates.
Psychedelics Today 
