Corey Davis, J.D., M.S.P.H., serves as Director of the Network’s Harm Reduction Legal Project. Corey was previously a Senior Attorney at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), where he helped to advance access to quality health care for low-income and underserved individuals. Before joining NHeLP Corey served as Employment Rights Attorney at Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, where he represented lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals before administrative commissions and in state and federal courts. He previously oversaw a street-based legal clinic sited at Philadelphia’s syringe exchange program.

Corey has served as chair of a county board of health, chair of the board of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, and vice-chair of the North Carolina Harm Public Health Foundation, among other positions. He is a recipient of the International AIDS Society’s Young Investigator Award andhas published extensively in the lay and academic press. Corey received his B.S. from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, his M.S.P.H. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Temple University. Corey is barred in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as various federal courts.

View a collection of research, resources and trainings produced by Corey below.

Articles & Resources

Harm Reduction Laws in the United States – 2024 Update

WebinarsSubstance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction

February 27, 2024
by Amy Lieberman, Ashleigh Dennis and Corey Davis

In the U.S. there is considerable variation in the presence and specifics of laws regarding drug paraphernalia, naloxone access, and protections for people who call for help in an overdose, and these laws have changed over time. This webinar is designed to reduce confusion around harm reduction laws in the U.S. and help individuals and organizations better understand how the legal landscape in their state may impact access to harm reduction services and supplies and emergency medical assistance in an overdose.

View page

Repeal of Paraphernalia Laws: Minnesota Leads the Way

Law & Policy InsightsSubstance Use Prevention and Harm ReductionHarm Reduction Legal ProjectLegislation and Legal ChallengesHarm Reduction Legal Project Resources

December 13, 2023
by Corey Davis

State laws that make it illegal to distribute or use items such as sterile syringes and smoking equipment have resulted in near record levels of drug overdose, hepatitis C infections and injection-related endocarditis due to the sharing of injections and inhalation supplies. Many advocates and observers, including members of the Network’s Harm Reduction Legal Project, have long advocated for the complete repeal of these harmful laws. Minnesota recently became the first state to do so.

Read more

Legality of Drug Checking Equipment in the United States

50-state surveyHarm Reduction Legal ProjectMechanisms for Advancing Public HealthSubstance Use Prevention and Harm ReductionHarm Reduction Legal Project Resources

November 1, 2023
by Corey Davis

States have been rapidly modifying their laws to increase access to drug checking equipment. Between August 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022, laws that permit drug checking equipment to be possessed, distributed, or both went into effect in ten states (Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). An additional two states (California and Georgia) passed laws in that time period that will go into effect in 2023. Additionally, Louisiana and Texas added drug checking equipment to their overdose Good Samaritan laws.

View page

Naloxone Prescription Mandates

Fact SheetHarm Reduction Legal ProjectHarm Reduction Legal Project ResourcesOpioid Misuse and Overdose PreventionSubstance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction

September 11, 2023
by Amy Lieberman and Corey Davis

Drug overdose continues to claim the lives of tens of thousands of people in the U.S. every year. Opioids, both prescription painkillers and street drugs such as heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, are responsible for the majority of these deaths. In response, states have passed legislation to increase access to the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone, including provisions that allow for the distribution of naloxone through pharmacies. Some states have gone further and now require that naloxone be prescribed or offered to some patients. This fact sheet describes those requirements and links to the relevant laws.

View page

Collateral Consequences of Criminalizing Substance Use Disorder

Law & Policy InsightsSubstance Use Prevention and Harm ReductionHarm Reduction Legal ProjectLegislation and Legal Challenges

July 25, 2023
by Ashleigh Dennis and Corey Davis

The “War on Drugs” could better be described as a “War on People.” In addition to obvious negative impacts such as incarceration and increases in drug-related harm, this “War” also leads to collateral consequences that can last for years —or even a lifetime. Collateral consequences are legal barriers resulting from a person’s conviction in addition to incarceration, parole or probation, and fines and fees.

Read more

As One State Strides Forward on Evidence-Based Drug Policy, Another Slides Back

Law & Policy InsightsSubstance Use Prevention and Harm ReductionHarm Reduction Legal Project

June 28, 2023
by Corey Davis

Unlike how they regulate the far more deadly drug products tobacco and alcohol, states overwhelmingly continue to treat individuals who use illicit drugs as criminals, and state law is oriented towards arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating them. A few states, however, have made more significant changes, and some have made less drastic but still important changes.

Read more

State Non-Fatal Overdose Reporting Requirements

Fact SheetHarm Reduction Legal ProjectHarm Reduction Legal Project ResourcesSubstance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction

May 30, 2023
by Amy Lieberman and Corey Davis

Variations among jurisdictions in determining and reporting causes of death and delays in obtaining and reporting fatality data often result in an incomplete and out-of-date view of the overdose epidemic in the U.S. It is imperative that health departments, harm reduction organizations, and people who use drugs are provided with accurate, timely and actionable information on drug-related overdose. This fact sheet provides a snapshot of current laws, regulations, and sub-regulatory sources governing mandatory disease reporting and a description of the laws and regulations governing reporting of overdoses in the jurisdictions that require or explicitly permit it as of March 31, 2023.

View page

Naloxone Insurance Coverage Mandates

Fact SheetHarm Reduction Legal ProjectHarm Reduction Legal Project ResourcesSubstance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction

May 30, 2023
by Amy Lieberman and Corey Davis

This fact sheet details the state laws that require private insurers to cover at least one formulation of naloxone and those that reduce barriers to access naloxone where it is covered. Because these laws were written during a time when no over the counter (OTC) naloxone formulations were available, none explicitly require coverage for OTC naloxone.

View page

Lawmakers to Decide whether Washington State Continues its Health-Centered Approach in Emphasizing Treatment over Punishment for Drug Possession

Law & Policy InsightsLegislation and Legal ChallengesSubstance Use Prevention and Harm Reduction

April 19, 2023
by Corey Davis

In May 2021, Washington state passed a law that, among other changes, re-classified drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor and required law enforcement officers to refer individuals to treatment at least twice before making an arrest. The law, which expires on July 1, 2023, also created the Substance Use Recovery Services Advisory Committee (SURSAC) to research best practices, create a statewide plan, and advise state lawmakers. Lawmakers are now considering whether to implement SURSAC’s 17 recommendations.

Read more