Can brain science save addiction policy? | Keith Humphreys

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 HighlightsWhy addiction isn’t just a moral failure—and how brain science explains drug-seeking behaviorThe biological pathways affected by opioids, alcohol, and stimulants—and why some drugs are harder to treatWhat makes some people more vulnerable to addiction than othersWhy effective addiction policy must account for impaired decision-makingHow policy can—and can’t—respond to the scienceThe promise and limitations of brain stimulation, psychedelics, and medications like naloxoneWhy prevention—especially for teens—is key to long-term changeWhat a more human, effective, and science-based future could look likeResources & LinksLearn more about Keith HumphreysLearn about the Stanford Network on Addiction PolicyRead about the NeuroChoice Initiative at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences InstituteNIH resources on addiction science and treatmentRead 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)We want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at [email protected] us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience.We want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at [email protected] more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.