Anne Katrin Schlag and Alex Stevens Chaired by Stephen Law

Medical expert on cannabis Dr Anne Katrin Schlag and criminal justice researcher Professor Alex Stevens debate UK drugs policy and ask whether politicians are following the science and evidence or simply ignoring it.

What’s the truth about drugs? To what extent is drug policy led, not by the evidence, but by political, commercial, and other interests? To the extent that politicians are not following the evidence, why are they not following it? What would a truly rational, evidence-based drugs policy look like?

Schlag leads the research for the Drug Science Medical Cannabis Working Group, focusing on controversies surrounding medical cannabis, the improvement of patient access, and the continued development of education about medical cannabis. Stevens is professor in criminal justice at the University of Kent. His research interests focus on illicit drug policies and how they affect drug use, crime and public health. He has an on-going interest in how evidence is used in making policy and in the effects of drug treatment interventions.

Discussions are chaired by Dr Stephen Law, a philosopher and academic, author of bestselling introductions to philosophy for adults and children, editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy Journal Think, and the festival’s major projects director.