Partnering with Government Agencies × STRAIGHT EDGE

We help government agencies and key decision makers to shape, adopt and implement effective drug policy across public health, criminal justice, education and treasury domains.

Our work is based on social and human rights approaches and anchored by lived experience.

Expert Knowledge Brokerage for Informed Drug Policy Decisions

STRAIGHT EDGE provides expert knowledge brokerage and translation of transparent, accurate, valid and generalizable high quality addictions and drug policy research to enable decision makers to understand and identify desired public health outcomes and effective methods of achieving that change (Stoneham, Vidler & Edmunds, 2019).

Connection

We provide the bridge between knowledge (research evidence and ideas) and decision makers using a critical realist and Habermasian based drug policy constellation approach (Stevens, 2024; Stevens & Zampini, 2018) viewed through the lens of lived and living experience in research, addictions and recovery.

Facilitation

We “facilitate the creation, sharing and use of knowledge” (Lomas, 2007, Meyer, 2010) to assist ethico-political organizations and NGOs to shape and implement drug and addiction policy by providing critical review and knowledge translation in the four domains and four goals of drug policy.

Debunking

We help to dismantle false drug binaries that can wrongfully support decision making and replace it with valid, high quality rigorous scientific research knowledge to support the evolution of drug policy in the public health, socio-cultural and political domains.

Our Approach Stands Apart

At the core of our work is a unique blend of lived experience and formal education. You won’t find this in typical policy advice.

Our team includes people who have been through addiction and recovery themselves, alongside experts with deep academic and practical knowledge. This combination gives us an unfiltered, honest perspective on drug policy that bridges real-world challenges with evidence-based solutions.

Our work is not just theory or churned out reports. We bring context that matters. Understanding the human side of addiction while navigating complex policy and planning frameworks. This dual insight helps governments and decision-makers create policies that are not only effective on paper but also work in practice.

This sets STRAIGHT EDGE apart from other voices in the field.

We stand at the intersection of both worlds, and use that position to push for smarter, fairer, and more practical drug policies.

Services

White Paper Research Submissions
Policy Analyses – efficacy, effectiveness, sustainability, implementation analysis
Drug and Addictions Research – statistical analysis, summaries, briefs, reports, submissions
Roundtable Dialogue and Drug Policy Committee Participation
Expert Evidence Provision and Consultation
Drug Policy Media Messaging