Long War On Drugs

FINAL PROJECT:  Using What You Learned

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how what you have learned this semester about the history of drugs and drug policy shapes the way you think about drugs and drug policy in the present.  This project takes the place of your final exam, so to do well on it, you will need to demonstrate your mastery and understanding of the full range of course materials presented this semester.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

1. Choose one of the following drugs as your focus: marijuana, opiates (all versions), cocaine, amphetamines.
2. Choose whether your policy recommendation will be for the federal government (recommended) or at the state level, and if at the state level, for which specific state.[1]
3. Recommend a policy for how your chosen drug should be handled today. See instructions below on what to include.
4. Answer the questions below to demonstrate how your knowledge of history informs your policy recommendation.
5. Demonstrate engagement with a wide range of assigned course material from each unit in the class in support of your policy recommendation.
6. Write up policy and answers to questions in effective prose, using citations as necessary, and including a bibliography.

POLICY RECOMMENDATION:

Your policy recommendation should include (1) what legal status your drug should have, with very brief justification (2a) if legal, limits (if any) on distribution, sale and consumption (2b) if not legal, levels of criminality and basic law enforcement approaches (3) support (or not) for scientific/medical research (4) approaches to addiction treatment, if any.

I have provided an example of the format in the Final Project folder on Blackboard.

QUESTIONS: (NOTE: It will be much easier for me to grade your assignment if you answer the questions rather than write an essay.)

1. What is the history of the use of this drug since approximately 1900? (Legal, illegal, medicinal, as appropriate)
2. What is the history of attempts to control this drug since approximately 1900, if any? Successful?  Why or why not?
3. What are the most important points of similarity and most important points of difference between this drug and the others from which you could have chosen? Describe them, and why they are significant. Choose 1 or 2 (no more) points of similarity and difference?
4. What aspects of your policy recommendation have been attempted before for your drug, and how successful have they been? Explain why you think they will be successful now (whether or not successful in the past).
5. What aspects of your policy recommendation are new, as relates to this drug (they may have been used for other drugs), and why do you think they will be successful now? Use history as one way of demonstrating the likeliness of success.
6. What will be the benefits to society of your policy recommendation, and why do you think so? Be sure to recommend at least two benefits.[2]

RUBRIC ELEMENTS:

The project is worth 250 points.  If you do not choose an approved drug, you will receive a zero.

Policy recommendation

contains all elements, plausible, reflects knowledge of course elements        up to 20 points

Assignment as a whole

reflects engagement with the full range of course materials                           up to 20 points

Well written, including spelling, grammar, and exposition and

appropriate and properly formatted notes and bibliography                          up to 30 points

Question 1 demonstrates familiarity with and mastery of all appropriate history

of drug use from the course as a whole, incl. from each Unit                        up to 40 points

Question 2 demonstrates familiarity with and mastery of all appropriate history

of drug policy from the course as a whole, incl. from each Unit                    up to 40 points

Question 3 describes and explains similarities and differences of your

policy from existing ones, reflecting engagement with course materials        up to 40 points

Question 4 describes and explains policy recommendations attempted before

and success then and in future                                                                        up to 20 points

Question 5 describes and explains new policy recommendations, predicting

and explaining success, in part using history to do so                                    up to 20 points

Question 6 explains and justifies benefits of proposed policy                                   up to 20 points

 

FINAL NOTE:

You are permitted to use outside materials, but this is not a research project.  It is a project to demonstrate that you have mastered the material taught in this course.  I strongly recommend that you rely on assigned readings and course lectures rather than doing any outside research.  You may find it useful to look up very specific pieces of information, possibly.  In that case, provide appropriate citations and include these sources in your bibliography.  Be sure your sources are reliable.

The minimum length of the assignment (NOT including bibliography) is 1000 words.

[1] Doing the state level will be more difficult since we have mostly studied federal level policies and developments but you are permitted to choose a state if you wish.

[2] Benefits can be to groups of people, to the state or federal government, to international relations, to specific other countries.  Think broadly, but be concrete in describing the benefits.