The Pomona Student Union will present “The Great Debate: The Drug War,” a discussion on the pros and cons of the drug war and whether a new approach is needed, on Thursday, April 11 at 8 p.m. The forum takes place in the Edmunds Ballroom within the Smith Campus Center, 170 E. Sixth St.

Award winning director Eugene Jarecki and former White House senior advisor Kevin Sabet will lead the discussion. Mr. Jarecki’s documentary, The House I Live In, was awarded the 2012 Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is an examination of the human rights implications of U.S. drug policy from multiple angles: from the dealer to the narcotics officer and the inmate to the federal judge. Mr. Jarecki’s previous work includes the Emmy Award-winning movie Reagan (2011), which examines the life and legacy of the 40^th president, and Why We Fight, the 2005 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner about the military-industrial complex. 

Mr. Sabet served as senior advisor on drug policy in the Obama administration from 2009-2011, and prior to that worked on research, policy and speech writing in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. Mr. Sabet went on to direct the University of Florida’s Drug Policy Institute and, in addition to working with the United Nations, is a consultant to governments, NGOs, media and other organizations on a wide range of issues, including evidence-based drug prevention, treatment, and law enforcement, as well as the impacts of drug legalization and medical marijuana.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information on this program, contact benjamin.bleiberg@pomona.edu.