If addiction is a disease of the brain, what does that mean for how we treat people—and how we write policy? In this wide-ranging conversation, Stanford addiction expert and policy advisor Keith Humphreys returns to the show to walk us through what neuroscience has taught us about substance use disorders and how that science intersects with law, public health, and politics.

From the biology of craving to the limits of autonomy, we explore the tension between compassion and accountability, and what truly effective treatment and prevention might look like.

Episode Highlights

Why addiction isn’t just a moral failure—and how brain science explains drug-seeking behavior
The biological pathways affected by opioids, alcohol, and stimulants—and why some drugs are harder to treat
What makes some people more vulnerable to addiction than others
Why effective addiction policy must account for impaired decision-making
How policy can—and can’t—respond to the science
The promise and limitations of brain stimulation, psychedelics, and medications like naloxone
Why prevention—especially for teens—is key to long-term change
What a more human, effective, and science-based future could look like

Resources & Links

Learn more about Keith Humphreys
Learn about the Stanford Network on Addiction Policy
Read about the NeuroChoice Initiative at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
NIH resources on addiction science and treatment
Read Humphreys' 2024 report on "The rise and fall of Pacific Northwest drug policy reform, 2020–2024" (Brookings Institution, 2024)
Read about CARE Courts ( "New California Court for the Mentally Ill Tests a State’s Liberal Values", New York Times, 2024)
Read Humphreys' 2025 Op-Ed: "Does harm reduction still have a future in San Francisco?" (SF Chronicle, 2025)
Read a policy summary, "Blue states change course on mental health policies" (Axios, 2025)

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Can brain science save addiction policy? | Keith Humphreys

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