History and Misson

The Drug Enforcement and Policy Center examines the impact of modern drug laws, policies and enforcement on personal freedoms and human well-being, giving particularized and sustained attention to analyzing the rapid evolution of marijuana laws and the impacts of reform efforts. The center focuses on conducting and supporting interdisciplinary, evidence-based research, scholarship, education, community outreach and public engagement on the myriad issues and societal impacts surrounding the reform of criminal and civil laws prohibiting or regulating the use and distribution of traditionally illicit drugs.

The center draws on the interdisciplinary strengths of a number of colleges and departments across The Ohio State University. By bringing together scholarship from across academia and reaching out to government actors, legal practitioners, public policy advocates and other stakeholders, the center helps shape and enrich public conversations about the intersecting fields of criminal justice and drug policy and enforcement, and their historical and modern impact on society.

DEPC was founded in November 2017 with a gift from the Charles Koch Foundation and is housed at the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University. In November of 2019, the center received an additional significant grant from the Menard Family and Menard Inc. In addition to the two founding gifts, DEPC receives funding from a number of research and project grants. Previous grant funders include Arnold Ventures, Clean Slate Initiative, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the Ohio Supreme Court, Columbus City Council, and the National Institute of Justice.