Fact Sheets

October 7, 2024 | Criminal Justice, Fact Sheets, Law Enforcement, Reentry

In this fact sheet the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) provides an overview of the collateral consequences of becoming involved in the criminal justice system. Some of these consequences can include losing the right to vote, losing the right to serve on a jury, and losing the right to own a firearm, and often the barriers put in place against a charged individual and the consequences have no relation to the criminal offense. ...

October 7, 2024 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Fentanyl, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Substance Misuse

In this fact sheet the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) discusses the emergence of  "tusi," which is also known as pink cocaine. Tusi is a group of psychedelic drugs common amongst clubgoers, dyed pink, that actually rarely contains cocaine. While tusi itself is not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act, its individual components like ketamine and fentanyl often are, and because users rarely know what is in the particular mix they are ingesting, they cannot anticipate the side effects....

July 12, 2024 | Fact Sheets, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

In this fact sheet the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) details the changes to the "primary diagnosis other than OUD" regulation. The fact sheet also covers the federal regulatory scheme for methadone for OUD and explains what led SAMHSA to revise its regulations. ...

March 18, 2024 | Fact Sheets, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Public Safety, Stimulants, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) is monitoring the emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) appearing on the streets of the United States. This fact sheet, which focuses on Xylazine, was originally the second in a series that highlights these dangerous drugs. This is an update to the original version....

November 15, 2023 | Criminal Justice, Fact Sheets, Stimulants, Substance Misuse

This fact sheet examines the racial disparities and stigma surrounding crack cocaine, established in the late 1980s, that continue to this day. The Fair Sentencing Act has helped to lessen the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, yet gaps remain. Passage of certain legislation, like the so-called EQUAL Act, would eliminate both the sentencing and racial disparity in cocaine sentencing still seen today in U.S. courts....

October 31, 2023 | Fact Sheets, Novel Psychoactive Substances, Substance Misuse, Synthetic Drugs

The Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association (LAPPA) continues to monitor the emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) appearing on the illicit drug market in the United States. The term “novel” does not denote a brand new, never-before-seen substance but rather a substance that is newly available in the drug market. This fact sheet, the sixth in a series highlighting these dangerous drugs, is an examination of bromazolam....

October 30, 2023 | Controlled Substances, Fact Sheets, Recovery, Substance Misuse, Treatments

This fact sheet summarizes a recent increase in the use of contingency management, a behavioral therapy that reinforces or rewards positive behavioral change. Often, mental health professionals use contingency management alongside other methods of treatment. In the context of substance use disorder treatment, patients typically receive something of monetary value to incentivize abstinence from drug use. Contingency management is a well-studied and effective method for treating substance use disorder, but until recently, received little support....