Ethan Nadelmann

Once derided as the province of spaced-out collegiate activists, the fight to reform marijuana and other drug laws is becoming increasingly mainstream in the US -- thanks in large part to the Drug Policy Alliance and its founder, Ethan Nadelmann.

Nadelmann believes that America (and the world) is losing the war on drugs, with disastrous implications for marginalized communities, exploding prison populations, and law enforcement in general. His arguments have converted politicians and policy-makers on both sides of the aisle. And the debate is shifting, with US states such as Colorado legalizing marjuana for recreational use, and countries such as Uruguay taking similar steps.