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