The unchecked power of the Drug Enforcement Administration

Lunchtime Reads: “Time to Abolish the DEA”

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ifetayo Harvey, the founder and executive director of the People of Color Psychedelic Collective (POCPC). We spoke about POCPC’s work, the human toll of the War on Drugs, and her recent article in the Fordham Law Review, “Time to Abolish the DEA: Evaluating the Agency’s Failures and Calling for Community Investments.” I will share the interview this Thursday. For now, Harvey’s article will be today’s lunchtime read. Reading it won’t be necessary to keep up with our conversation, but it will enrich the experience. 

Harvey provides an excellent, accessible survey of the history of the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the scope and impact of this largely invisible yet powerful agency. It boasts a staff of nearly 10,000 and an annual budget of more than $3 billion. The DEA has been the vanguard of the federal government’s 50-year failed War on Drugs – the only way to describe a war that lasts generations – which continues to ravage poor communities and communities of color. Importantly, Harvey does not suggest leaving a vacuum in the wake of the DEA. She offers concrete proposals that promote public health and safety. 

In solidarity,

Dwayne