Glover, Sporer write op-ed about lessons from Portugal’s drug decriminalization

Robert Glover, associate professor of political science with a joint appointment in the Honors College, and Karyn Sporer, associate professor of sociology, wrote an opinion piece for the Bangor Daily News about what Maine can learn from Portugal’s drug decriminalization. “Portugal reminds us to calibrate expectations for what one policy can do. … Decriminalization alone won’t fix underlying gaps in access to health care or economic opportunity, as architects of the Portuguese policy frequently warn. In fact, short term, it will likely make gaps painfully obvious,” they wrote. Glover and Sporer are members of the Maine chapter of the Scholars Strategy Network, which brings together scholars across the country to address public challenges and their policy implications. Members’ columns appear in the BDN every other week. Glover and Sporer will also host an upcoming University of Maine study abroad program in Portugal for students interested in studying drug policy.