This is a list of people I interviewed for the book, and a short description of who they are. Where the interviews are marked with an asterisk, that’s to show that I interviewed them via Skype or phone; all the rest were conducted face-to-face. For the recorded calls, the name of the location describes where the interviewee was, not where I was.

They are listed alphabetically by surname.

• Dr Eliot Albert in London – head of International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD)
• Sunil Aggarwal* in New York City – expert on drug effects
• Betty Aldworth* in Colorado – key figure in the legalization campaign
• Professor Bruce Alexander in Vancouver, Canada – expert on addiction
• Veronica Alonzo in Montevideo, Uruguay – Senator, opponent of legalization
• Geraldo Amarilla in Montevideo, Uruguay – senator, opponent of legalization
• Donny Andrews in Baltimore – a former stick-up man, the inspiration for Omar in ‘The Wire’
• Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona – a leading prohibitionist sheriff
• Julio Bango in Montevideo, Uruguay – politician, advocate of ending drug war
• Brandy Baron in Arizona – a supporter of Joe Arpaio and prohibition
• Hannah Elizabeth Barr* – expert on drug policy in Afghanistan
• Damon Barrett in London – expert on harm reduction
• Yolande Bavan* in New York City – friend of Billie Holiday
• Thilo Beck* in Zurich, Switzerland – drug policy expert
• Howard Becker* – expert on drug effects
• Fabrizio Benedetti* – expert on drug effects
• Andrew Bennett in Liverpool, England – worked on heroin prescription program
• Julia Blackburn* in London – biographer of Billie Holiday
• Dr Barbara Broers* in Zurich, Switzerland – doctor
• Barbra Brohl in Montevideo, Uruguay – regulator of marijuana trade in Colorado
• Larry Bryant in Washington DC – HIV rights advocate at Housing Works
• Susie Byrd in El Paso, Texas – politician, advocate of legalization
• Reverend Eugene Callendar* in New York City – friend of Billie Holiday
• Christine Campbell in Washington DC – activist at Housing Works
• Isaac Campos* – historian of drug effects
• Nuno Capaz in Lisbon, Portugal – social worker, works in Dissuasion Commission
• Julian Cardona in Juarez, Mexico – drug war expert, journalist in Juarez
• Laura Carlsen* in Mexico – director of the Americas Program at the Center for International Policy
• Julio Calzada in Montevideo, Uruguay – Uruguay’s ‘drugs tsar’
• Miguel Angel Campodonico in Montevideo, Uruguay – President Mujica’s biographer
• Diego Carnepa in Montevideo, Uruguay – Chief of Staff to the President
• Tamara Chkheidze in Geneva, Switzerland – works in K-9, drug treatment center
• Donald Clarke* – Billie Holiday’s biographer
• Allan Clear in Liverpool, England – worked on heroin prescription program
• Jonathan Cohen in New York City – expert at the Open Society Foundation
• Hayley Coles in Arizona – works on harm reduction in Arizona
• Martin Collanzos in Montevideo, Uruguay – legalization campaigner
• Coco Cutherbertson in Vancouver, Canada – works with addicts at the Portland Hotel Society
• Bob DaSena in New York City – expert on gangs, former gang member
• Richard DeGrandpre in New Zealand – expert on drug effects
• Brisa Delgado in Juarez, Mexico– teenager, shot in drug war violence
• Dr Lance Dodes* – expert on addiction
• Stephen Dowling in New York City – former cop in charge of the LAPD drug squad
• Ruth Dreifuss in Geneva, Switzerland – former President of Switzerland, champion of ending the drug war
• Bevan Dufty* in San Francisco – Billie Holiday’s godson
• Robert DuPont in Stockholm, Sweden – set up the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Richard Nixon
• Paul Enck* – expert on drug effects
• Juan Fraire Escobedo (he asked me not to name the city he is in for safety reasons) – son of Marisella Escobedo, murdered for seeking justice
• Paul Fraire Escobedo – as above
• Dylan Evans* – expert on drug effects
• Liz Evans in Vancouver, Canada – leading activist for harm reduction
• Cindy Fazey in Liverpool, England – worked on heroin prescription program and at the United Nations Office on Drug Control
• Lorraine Feather* – Billie Holiday’s god-daughter
• Peter Ferentzy* in Toronto, Canada – drug user, activist
• Amanda Fielding – an expert on hallucinogens in London, head of the Beckley Foundation
• Joao Figueira in Lisbon, Portugal – head of the drugs police in Portugal
• Steve Fox* in Colorado – key figure in the legalization campaign
• Lazaro Franco in Juarez, Mexico – gang member
• Neill Franklin in Maryland – former cop, now head of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
• Antonio Gago in Lisbon, Portugal – former addict
• Eduardo Galeano in Montevideo, Uruguay – writer, friend of Jose Mujica
• Janice Gallagher in New York City – activist with Mexican Peace Caravan
• Guillermo Garat in Montevideo, Uruguay – journalist
• Edwin Garay in Juarez, Mexico – teenager, shot in drug war violence
• Alicia Garcia in Montevideo, Uruguay – last person to be arrested for marijuana
• Bertha Alicia Garcia in Juarez, Mexico – activist against drug war violence
• Marisol Valles Garcia (I have been asked not to name where I met her for her safety) – former Mexican sheriff driven out by drug gangs
• Karen Garrison in Washington DC – founder of the Sentencing Project
• Terrence Garrison in Washington DC – works with the Sentencing Project
• Molly Gill* – expert on Mexican drug violence
• Misha Glenny* in New York City – organized crime expert, author of ‘McMafia’
• The Gomez family in El Paso, Texas – victims of drug war violence
• Joao Goulao in Lisbon, Portugal – doctor, led the decriminalization in Portugal
• Federico Grana in Montevideo, Uruguay – human rights activist
• Mike Gray* in Los Angeles – writer, advocate of legalization
• Olivier Gueniat in Neuchatel, Switzerland – police officer, expert on drug policy
• Clare Hacksell in Vancouver, Canada – works with addicts at the Portland Hotel Society
• Eric Hager* – lawyer working on US companies who exposed Ecuadorians to chemicals in effort to ‘eradicate’ drugs
• Chino Hardin in New York City – former drug dealer
• Carl Hart in New York City – Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University
• Jazz Hayden in Harlem – former drug dealer, activist against drug war
• Barb Heller in Arizona – a supporter of Joe Arpaio and of prohibition
• Shawn Heller* – expert on US prisons at the Florida Justice Institute
• Ana Paula Hernandez in Juarez, Mexico – human rights activist
• Hannah Hetzer in Montevideo, Uruguay – works for the Drug Policy Alliance
• Juan Carlos Hidalgo in Washington DC – Cato Institute expert
• Alison Holcombe* in Washington State – key figure in the legalization campaign
• Alfredo Holguin in Juarez, Mexico – victim of drug war violence
• Pete Holmes* in Washington – Seattle City Attorney, key figure in legalization campaign
• Eleutorio Huidobro in Montevideo, Uruguay – defense secretary for Uruguay
• Richard Husman in Missouri – former partner of Marcia Powell, who was killed in Arizona prison
• Mike Jay in London – drug policy and history expert
• Karyn Kaplan in New York City – activist for human rights of drug users, especially in Asia
• Christer Karlsson in Stockholm, Sweden – former addict
• Scott Kellogg in New York City – addiction expert
• Danny Kushlick in London – expert on drug legalization, co-director of the Transform Drugs Policy Institute
• Steve Lemons in Arizona – an excellent journalist in Arizona who monitors
• Donna Leone Hamm in Arizona* – head of the Middle Ground Prison Reform group
• Michael Levine in upstate New York – former drugs cop
• Marc Levy in Boston – Vietnam veteran, discussing drug use there
• Markus Leweke* – expert on drug effects
• Ann Livingstone in Vancouver, Canada – activist, co-founder of Vandu
• Margaret Love* – lawyer, worked on the notorious case of Clarence Aaron
• Sophie Macken in London – member of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs
• Donald MacPherson in Vancouver, Canada – leading activist against drug war
• Leigh Maddox in New York City and in Maryland – former cop, now advocate of legalization with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
• Charlie Mandingo* in Washington State – key figure in the legalization campaign
• Dr Rita Manghi in Geneva, Switzerland – psychiatrist in heroin prescription clinic
• Mike Manning in Arizona – a lawyer who has led successful cases against Joe Arpaio for abuses in his prisons
• Dr John Marks* in New Zealand and later Vienna, Austria – worked on heroin prescription program in Liverpool, England
• Martin Marquez in Montevideo, Uruguay – supporter of Mujica
• Fred Martens in Camden, New Jersey – former undercover drug cop
• Dr Daniel Martins in Geneva, Switzerland – doctor in heroin prescription clinic
• Oscar Martinez in El Paso, Texas – historian of El Paso and Juarez
• Gabor Mate in Vancouver, Canada – psychiatrist, expert on addiction
• Marc Mauer* – lawyer, has worked on drug cases
• Joe Megysey* in Colorado – key figure in legalization campaign
• Guadalupe Melendez in Juarez, Mexico – mother of man accused of a massacre
• Evelyn Milan in New York City – activist with VOCAL-NY
• Roosevelt K. Miles in Fort Worth, Texas – former addict
• Daniel Moerman* – expert on drug effects and placebo
• Elle Morrison* – expert on how drug addicts are treated in Asia, witnessed the treatment ‘camps’ there first-hand
• Peter Moskos in New York City – cop, now advocate of legalization
• Jose Mujica* in Montevideo, Uruguay – President of Uruguay
• Ethan Nadelmann in New York City – head of the Drug Policy Alliance
• Terry Nelson in Fort Worth, Texas – former police officer
• Russell Newcombe in Liverpool, England – worked on heroin prescription program
• Tony Newman in New York City – press officer at the Drug Policy Alliance
• Richard Newton in El Paso, Texas – former border agent, now member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
• Geord Norberg in Arizona – his son Scott died in one of Arpaio’s jails
• Professor David Nutt in London – former chief scientific advisor on drugs in the UK
• Pat O’Hare in Liverpool, England – worked on heroin prescription program
• Juan Manuel Olguin in Juarez, Mexico – teenager who dresses as an angel to protest drug war violence
• Elizabeth Owens in New York City – activist with VOCAL-NY
• Dinah Ortiz in New York City – former drug mule
• Bud Osborn in Vancouver, Canada – leading activist against the drug war
• Philip Owen in Vancouver, Canada – former mayor of Vancouver
• Lynn Paltrow* in New York City – activist, works on the rights of addicted mothers
• Tony Papa in New York City – works for the Drug Policy Alliance, former drug prisoner
• Allan Parry in Liverpool, England – worked on heroin prescription program
• Dr Raquel Peyraube in Montevideo, Uruguay – psychiatrist, treats addicts
• Daniel Piomelli* – expert on drug effects
• Peggy Plews in Phoenix, Arizona – activist against abuse of prisoners
• The Porres family – I have been asked not to name where I met them for their safety victims of Mexican drug war violence
• Dr Divine Pryor in New York City – activist
• Jose Queiroz* – expert on Portuguese drug policy
• Meghan Ralston – expert on drug policy with the Drug Policy Alliance
• Geoffrey Ramsay in Montevideo, Uruguay – drug policy expert
• Helen Redmond* in New York City – journalist who writes about drug policy
• Stuart Reges* – professor, former drug user
• Rosalio Reta in Tyler County, Texas – former hitman for the Zetas
• Saul and Sandra Reyes – I have been asked not to name where I met them for their safety – victims of Mexican drug war violence
• Khyung Ji Rhee in New York City – works with Chino Hardin
• Joyce Rivera in the Bronx – founder and executive director of St Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction
• Representative Mary Helen Roberts* in Washington State – key figure in legalization campaign
• Sandra Rodrigues in Juarez, Mexico – crime correspondent for El Diario
• Sergio Rodrigues in Porto, Portugual – drug users, activist
• Roger Roffman* in Washington State – key figure in the legalization campaign
• DD Rogers in Washington DC – former drug user
• Gustavo De La Rosa in Juarez, Mexico – human rights activist
• Steve Rolles in London – legalization expert, co-founder of Transform Drugs Policy Institute
• Maurico Rosencoff in Montevideo, Uruguay – dissident, friend of President Mujica
• Annie Ross* in New York City – friend of Billie Holiday, jazz singer
• Kate Rubin* in New York City – works with the Bronx Defenders
• Rui Ruis in Lisbon, Portugal – former addict
• Sebastian Sabini in Montevideo, Uruguay – legislator, champion of legalization
• Jason Santiago in New York City – friend of Chino Hardin
• Jean-Felix Savary in Geneva, Switzerland – social worker, works with addicts
• Carlos Saveedra in New York City – doctor, treats addicts
• Jeremy Saunders in New York City – activist with VOCAL-NY
• Kurt Schmoke in Washington DC – former mayor of Baltimore, advocate of ending the drug war
• Christian Sederberg in Montevideo, Uruguay – lawyer, campaigner to end the drug war
• Ronald K. Seigel* in Los Angeles – expert on drug use among animals
• Laura Shaver in Vancouver, Canada – activist against drug war
• Elaine Showalter* – expert on history of hysterical epidemics
• Javier Sicilia in New York City – advocate of ending the Mexican drug war
• Rachel Siefert in Juarez, Mexico – British documentary maker, expert on drug war
• Alejandra Spektor in El Paso, Texas – founder of Mexicanos en Exilo
• Carlos Spektor in El Paso, Texas – founder of Mexicanos en Exilo
• Sandra Spektor in El Paso, Texas – founder of Mexicanos en Exilo
• Nik Steinberg – Human Rights Watch expert on Mexico drug violence
• Richard Stratton in Washington DC – former drug dealer
• Eric Sterling in Washington DC – the lawyer who wrote the US drug laws in the 1980s
• Joy Strickland in Dallas, Texas – became an advocate for legalization after the killing of her son
• Paisan Suwannawong in New York City – Thai activist against drug war there
• Tom Tancredo* in Colorado – politician, key figure in legalization campaign
• Kima Joy Taylor in Baltimore – director of National Drug Treatment Program at Open Society Foundation
• Gabriel Thorens in Geneva, Switzerland – works in heroin prescription clinic
• Jorge Hernandez Tinajero* in Mexico – legalization activist
• Joe Toft in Reno, Nevada – former head of the Drug Enforcement Agency in Colombia
• Bobby Tolbert in New York City – former addict
• Luica Topolansky in Montevideo, Uruguay – Senator, First Lady, wife of Mujica
• Jorge De La Torre in Phoenix, Arizona – doctor at the “Tent City” prison
• Sanho Tree* in Washington DC – expert on drugvwar
• Billie Tyler in Washington DC – a street nurse who works with addicts
• Jasmine Tyler in Washington DC – a pro-legalization activist
• Mason Tvert* in Colorado – key figure in legalization campaign
• Juan Tubino in Montevideo, Uruguay – runs a ‘head shop’
• Ambrose Uchtenhagen* in Switzerland – doctor, expert on prescribing heroin
• Douglas Valentine* – expert on history of Federal Bureau of Narcotics
• Emma Valeta in Creel, Mexico – victim of drug war
• Miguel Vasconcelos in Lisbon, Portugal – doctor at the Taipas Treatment Center
• Juan Vaz in Montevideo, Uruguay – former drug dealer
• Yamamndu Vitabar in Montevideo, Uruguay – supporter of Mujica
• Dr Hal Vorse* in Oklahoma City – doctor, treats prescription drug addicts
• Art Way* in Colorado – key figure in the legalization campaign
• Suzanne Wills in Dallas, Texas – accountant, campaigner against the drug war
• Dean Wilson in Vancouver, Canada – leading activist against drug war
• Tonia Winchester* in Washington State – key figure in the legalization campaign
• Howard Wooldridge in Washington DC – former cop, advocate of legalization
• Toni Young in Washington DC – head of the DC Community Education Group

I have not included on this list anyone who falls into any of these categories:

• people who asked not to be named, because they were admitting to criminal activities
• anybody I felt might be endangered by me revealing they had spoken to a journalist (this is especially true of people in Northern Mexico and Vietnam)
• anybody I felt might be harmed by being publicly identified as a drug user or addict
• the inmates I interviewed in the prison in Tent City in Arizona, because I don’t want the first thing that comes up when they are googled to be the fact they have been in prison