40 Under 40: Kassandra Frederique

Organizations and those in power are striving to raise awareness for the people of color who have long been disproportionately harmed by racial police and imprisonment. Kassandra Frederique has played a significant role in focusing the national drug policy debate on restitution and reparations for the communities that have suffered because of the War on Drugs.

Frederique is executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit organization that works to end the War on Drugs, which has disproportionately harmed minority communities, and to create alternatives based on science, compassion, health and human rights.

The Drug Policy Alliance focuses on human rights issues related to drug usage, society and federal laws. The group tackles various issues, including addiction and pursuing compensation for persons who have served or are currently serving prison terms due to drugs.

“Cannabis reform gives us the opportunity to share power, and to disrupt social control,” Frederique says.

This story was originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now.