Not only the recent discussions about cannabis demonstrate that the topics of drugs and addiction are polarizing. Different drugs (such as alcohol, cannabis, or heroin) are evaluated morally and legally in completely different ways, with these assessments varying from culture to culture and historically being highly changeable. In many areas, a criminal and security policy approach still predominates; however, health policy considerations in the context of an accepting drug policy are increasingly becoming relevant.

This volume introduces fundamental aspects from the fields of drugs and addiction and provides a compact, informative overview of important stages and scientific findings related to drug history, drug research, and drug policy.