Current drug policies are failing. Worse, they are causing enormous harm to individuals, communities, and entire nations. The current opioid crisis in the US is only one glaring example. Around the world, poorly designed drug laws that seek to punish production, possession, use, and even dependence have fueled violence, instability, human rights violations, and health crises. The vast majority of research indicates that in countries which have ended the senseless criminalization of people who use drugs, crime and addiction did not increase. In fact, alternative drug policies that support health services and human rights have proven to be incredibly successful at helping individuals and communities. Drug crises have broad social, economic and political challenges: illicit financial flows, criminal capture of the state, social instability; gender inequality and the burden of care work, to name a few. These crises have their roots in failures of global governance. This course examines the global to local roots and consequences of current drug policies, and explores approaches rooted in human rights, social justice and public health.