Facing Race: A National Conference in St. Louis, MO — November 20-22, 2024

gabriel sayegh

Director | Drug Policy Alliance

gabriel sayegh is the director of the Drug Policy Alliance’s New York policy office. He joined DPA in 2003 as a member of the development team, joined the policy team in 2004, and in 2005 launched DPA’s innovative State Organizing and Policy Project. He directed the project until 2010, coordinating DPA’s work in numerous states, including Alabama, Connecticut and New York. Today, sayegh works across New York state, partnering with community organizing groups, human service agencies, and researchers to advance drug policies that are guided by science, compassion, health, racial justice and human rights. Recent successes include reform of New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws and the passage of historic legislation to prevent accidental overdose fatalities.


Presentations from Facing Race 2014

Marijuana, Racism, and the Future of Reform

In 2010, there were over 1.6 million drug-related arrests in the U.S. – nearly half of which were for marijuana possession alone, making marijuana a primary focus of drug-related law enforcement activities. Blacks and Latinos are arrested at much higher rates than whites in every region, even though whites, Blacks and Latinos use marijuana at similar rates. There is now growing momentum for reform, particularly in the U.S. South, but how can marijuana policy reform address the legacies of racism and social control central to the war on drugs? Panelists will discuss the current state of reform, outline proposals to incorporate racial justice into reform efforts and identify opportunities for promoting racial equity and effective drug policies.

Speakers: gabriel sayegh, Deon Haywood, Ana Yáñez-Correa, Kenneth Glasgow