Richard J. Baum — Biography

Richard J. Baum served for 28 years at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) across six presidential administrations. From March 2017 to February 2018, he was the Acting Director of ONDCP — often referred to as the “Drug Czar.” In that role, he oversaw the United States’ $40-plus-billion federal drug control budget, coordinated the government-wide response to drug policy challenges, and concurrently served as Executive Director of President Trump’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

Throughout his tenure, Mr. Baum led the development of major strategic policy documents, including six editions of the National Drug Control Strategy, the 2011 Transnational Organized Crime Strategy, and multiple iterations of the Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy. Prior to joining ONDCP, he worked as a criminal justice and health policy researcher and writer, and spent six years as a Congressional staffer specializing in drug policy in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Baum is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, where he designed and teaches the graduate course The War on Drugs: Causes, Consequences, and Alternatives. He holds a B.A. in Government and an M.A. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University, as well as an M.P.A. from the University of Colorado. His forthcoming book, Inside America’s Opioid Crisis: 12 Hard Lessons for Today’s Drug War, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2026.

He has delivered keynote addresses and presentations at national conferences and professional forums, including the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (All Rise) Training Conference, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the RTI Policing Symposium, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Cocaine, Meth, and Stimulant Summit, and the Police, Treatment, and Community Collaborative (PTACC) Training Summit. He will serve as a featured speaker at the Smart Approaches to Marijuana / Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions Summit in 2026.

Raised in New York City, Mr. Baum now lives in Falls Church, Virginia, with his wife, Linda Bloss-Baum. They have two adult children, Ally and Matthew.



Areas of Expertise

National Drug Policy & Federal Strategy Coordination
Development and implementation of cross-agency strategies, budget alignment, and intergovernmental coordination across six presidential administrations.

Opioid Crisis Response & Addiction Policy Reform
Design and evaluation of treatment, prevention, and recovery initiatives — including recommendations developed through the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

Public Health & Justice System Collaboration
Advancing deflection, diversion, drug courts, and community-based responses that reduce unnecessary incarceration while improving public safety outcomes.

International Drug Control & Transnational Crime
Global supply-chain disruption, fentanyl trafficking trends, and multilateral cooperation across Mexico, China, Latin America, and international organizations.

Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Systems
Policy translation, program implementation, and systems-level reform to improve access, engagement, and outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders.

Policy Communication, Teaching, and Leadership Development
Graduate-level instruction, public speaking, and knowledge translation for policymakers, practitioners, and emerging leaders.

Professional Experience Highlights

  • Former Acting Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

  • Executive Director, President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction & the Opioid Crisis

  • Keynote speaker at national conferences including PTACC, Rx & Illicit Drug Summit, IACP, and All Rise

  • Frequent presenter to federal, state, academic, and NGO leadership audiences

  • Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy

Speaking Topics - Keynotes, Panels, Policy Forums

Inside America’s Opioid Crisis — Lessons for Policymakers and Communities
What decades inside federal drug policy reveal about the origins of the crisis, the limits of current approaches, and the reforms most likely to save lives and improve outcomes.

Building Effective Partnerships Between Public Health and Law Enforcement
How deflection initiatives, drug courts, and collaborative models can reduce unnecessary incarceration while strengthening community safety and treatment engagement.

Why Evidence-Based Programs Fail to Scale — and How to Fix It
A candid look at structural barriers, funding gaps, and policy dynamics that prevent proven programs from reaching national impact — and how to overcome them.

The Future of U.S. Drug Policy — Treatment, Recovery, Accountability, and Prevention
Opportunities to modernize federal and state responses to addiction while improving access to care, reducing stigma, and strengthening long-term recovery supports.

Global Supply, Synthetic Drugs, and the Changing Risk Landscape
What fentanyl and emerging synthetics mean for overdose risk, enforcement strategy, and international collaboration.

Leadership Lessons from Six Presidential Administrations
Reflections on decision-making, institutional culture, and policy navigation inside the White House drug office — and what it means for leaders working in today’s crisis environment.