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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 2:25 am
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Results for drug policy reform
19 results foundAuthor: Rolles, Stephen Title: After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation Summary: Heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, prescription and over-the-counter medicines, alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea - we are all people who use drugs. Our refusal to acknowledge this comes from a deep-seated fear that 'we' might become, or be seen as, one of 'them'. What we really need to focus on is the difference between drug use and drug addiction or dependency. Global prohibitionist drug policy continues to focus efforts primarily on the substances alone. This is wrong. Of course, the harms associated with some drugs are worse than others. Sometimes these are due to the degree of addictiveness of a particular drug. But most of the harms are due to the way that a particular drug is acquired (for example, in a dark alley versus from a pharmacy), the way in which it is used (as a pill, for example, versus smoking, snorting or injecting), and, even more importantly, the way in which society treats people who use drugs. The vast majority of the horrific harms associated with drug use-crime, HIV and other blood-borne infections, violence, incarceration, death-are clearly fueled by the prohibitionist drug policies our governments pursue. The use of non-medical drugs, and more importantly the 'War on Drugs' itself, have had a profound influence on the global HIV epidemic over the past 25 years. Today, injecting drug use accounts for 30% of HIV infections worldwide outside of sub-Saharan Africa. In the Eastern Europe/Central Asia region as a whole over 60% of HIV infections are due to injecting drug use. Global normative guidance on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for people who inject drugs emphasises the use of a comprehensive set of evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing the harms associated with drug use. This normative guidance, as endorsed by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS, the International AIDS Society and other organisations, is in direct contrast to global drug control policy, as set out in the three major UN drug conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988. These call for a strict prohibitionist stance on the production, distribution and use of nonmedical drugs. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to show that criminalising drugs and drug use has directly and indirectly led to a dramatic increase in drugrelated harms, and that controlling and regulating the production and distribution of all drugs would go a long way towards reducing those harms. So long as we continue to define the drug user as 'other' and define the drug itself as the problem, we will be trapped in our misguided and harm-inducing programmes and policies. 'After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation' lays out, for the first time, a set of practical and pragmatic options for a global regulatory system for non-medical drugs. It comes at a critical time. A number of Latin American governments, including Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and Mexico have moved, or are moving, towards decriminalisation of drug possession and are shifting to a public health model to prevent and treat misuse of drugs. They are no longer able to tolerate the damage done to their societies by the War on Drugs. Portugal decriminalised possession of all drugs in 2001. There are signs that the US government, under the new US 'Drug Czar' Gil Kerlikowske, is ready to review its position on the War on Drugs. Given that prohibitionist policy has been dominated by the US, and to some extent Russia, Japan and Sweden, any shifts in US policy could have dramatic effects at the global level. This is not a radical book, nor does it posit radical approaches to global drug policy. In fact, as it points out, the prohibitionist model is the radical approach, in that it is based exclusively on a moral judgment against drug use and drug users and not on an evidence based approach to reducing drug-related harms. Underscoring a century of prohibitionist policy is a deep-seated fear that moving from prohibition to a regulatory approach will lead to a 'free-for-all' situation vis-a-vis drug availability and use. 'Blueprint' outlines clearly that this fear is irrational and that reform of any kind will be vastly superior to the status quo. Details: London: Transform Drug Policy Foundation, 2009. 232p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2018 at: https://www.tdpf.org.uk/sites/default/files/Blueprint.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.tdpf.org.uk/sites/default/files/Blueprint.pdf Shelf Number: 117126 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug ControlDrug Control PolicyDrug EnforcementDrug Policy Reform |
Author: Dun, Mirella van Title: Between Reality and Abstraction: Guiding Principles and Developing Alternatives for Illicit Crop Producing Regions in Peru Summary: At the International Conference on Alternative Development (ICAD), held 15-16 November 2012 in Lima, the Peruvian Government continued to insist on the relevance of “Alternative Development (AD),” with particular emphasis on the socalled San Martín “miracle” or “model.” The model, started with the support of international cooperation, is proposed by Peru as a paradigm to be followed worldwide by regions and countries that also deal with problems associated with crops grown for illicit purposes. The goal of the ICAD conference in Lima was to reach a consensus on 'Guiding Principles', based on a draft prepared at the first ICAD meeting in Thailand in November 2011. The principles should facilitate the implementation of effective Alternative Development programs, assessed in two ways: economic development of regions where illicit crops are grown, and the reduction of these crops. The document will be presented for approval at the fifty-sixth session of the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) to be held in March 2013. It is seen as the culmination of a long process that can be traced back to the debate that began at the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Drugs in 1998. The supposed world consensus on principles to guide Alternative Development projects appear to be far removed from the reality of the Upper Huallaga Valley, the very zone were Peru's supposedly exemplary model for Alternative Development is being implemented. This briefing exposes the breach between rhetoric and reality by examining the impact of AD projects in Peru, focussing on its impact on peasant families. Details: Amsterdam: Transnational Institute, 2013. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Drug Policy Briefing Nr . 39: Accessed March 12, 2013 at: http://www.tni.org/sites/www.tni.org/files/download/brief39_0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Peru URL: http://www.tni.org/sites/www.tni.org/files/download/brief39_0.pdf Shelf Number: 127915 Keywords: CocaineDrug Policy ReformIllicit DrugsNarcotics (Peru) |
Author: Garvey, Todd Title: State Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Selected Legal Issues Summary: May a state authorize the use of marijuana for recreational purposes even if such use is forbidden by federal law? This novel and unresolved legal question has vexed judges, politicians, and legal scholars, and it has also generated considerable public debate among supporters and opponents of “legalizing” the recreational use of marijuana. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana are prohibited for any reason other than to engage in federally approved research. Yet 18 states and the District of Columbia currently exempt qualified users of medicinal marijuana from penalties imposed under state law. In addition, Colorado and Washington recently became the first states to legalize, regulate, and tax small amounts of marijuana for nonmedicinal (so-called “recreational”) use by individuals over the age of 21. Thus, the current legal status of marijuana appears to be both contradictory and in a state of flux: as a matter of federal law, activities related to marijuana are generally prohibited and punishable by criminal penalties, whereas at the state level, certain marijuana usage is increasingly being permitted. Individuals and businesses engaging in marijuana-related activities that are authorized by state law nonetheless remain subject to federal criminal prosecution or other consequences under federal law. The Colorado and Washington laws that legalize, regulate, and tax an activity the federal government expressly prohibits appear to be logically inconsistent with established federal policy toward marijuana, and are therefore likely subject to a legal challenge under the constitutional doctrine of preemption. This doctrine generally prevents states from enacting laws that are inconsistent with federal law. Under the Supremacy Clause, state laws that conflict with federal law are generally preempted and therefore void and without effect. Yet Congress intended that the CSA would not displace all state laws associated with controlled substances, as it wanted to preserve a role for the states in regulating controlled substances. States thus remain free to pass laws relating to marijuana, or any other controlled substance, so long as they do not create a “positive conflict” with federal law, such that the two laws “cannot consistently stand together.” This report summarizes the Washington and Colorado marijuana legalization laws and evaluates whether, or the extent to which, they may be preempted by the CSA or by international agreements. It also highlights potential responses to these recent legalization initiatives by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and identifies other noncriminal consequences that marijuana users may face under federal law. Finally, the report closes with a description of legislative proposals introduced in the 113th Congress relating to the treatment of marijuana under federal law, including H.R. 499 (Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013); H.R. 501 (Marijuana Tax Equity Act of 2013); H.R. 689 (States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act); H.R. 710 (Truth in Trials Act); H.R. 784 (States’ Medical Marijuana Property Rights Protection Act); and H.R. 964 (Respect States’ and Citizens’ Rights Act of 2013). Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Services, 2013. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: R43034: Accessed April 16, 2013 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43034.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43034.pdf Shelf Number: 128387 Keywords: Drug LegalizationDrug Policy ReformMarijuana (U.S.) |
Author: Ostler, Sophia Title: Coca Leaf: A Political Dilemma? Summary: For fifty years the World's attitude to and treatment of the coca leaf and coca farmers has been controlled by the UN Drugs Conventions beginning with the Convention of 1961 which prohibited the production, possession and purchase of the coca leaf as well as cocaine. The assertion of this report is that the illegal status of the coca leaf is based upon a misinterpretation of science, first of all in 1950 with the publication of the misleading study of the Commission of Enquiry on the Coca Leaf; and much later with the blocking of the publication of a report in 1995 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which made abundantly clear that the coca leaf itself has "no negative health effects". ormally, coca leaf can be used for medicinal and scientific purposes, as prescribed by the 1961 Single Convention. It can also be used as a flavouring agent, as long as all the controlled alkaloids are removed. However because coca leaf contains the cocaine alkaloid, the consumer countries had a choice: either invest in the strengthening of the government and judicial systems of the producer countries and allow coca leaf to remain a legal product; or include coca leaf within the Conventions and invest in a war on drugs with massive weapons sales and fumigation programmes. The US, in particular, chose the latter course. During the past 50 years, fragile government institutions and judicial systems in some Latin American countries have been further weakened and corrupted by wealthy criminals whose fortunes have been inflated by the cocaine trade. This report does not, however, seek to comment upon the status of cocaine. The adverse consequences for coca farmers of the application of the UN Conventions to coca leaf cannot be overstated. They have inhibited important research into the potential of the coca leaf for farmers and communities, particularly in the Andean nations. The policy of spraying coca leaf farms in Colombia has caused appalling poverty. Also, the temptation for poor farmers and their families to work for the drug barons has been and continues to be irresistible while few, if any, alternatives are available. The WHO study of 1995 concluded that the coca leaf has positive therapeutic, cultural and social functions for indigenous Andean populations. We need to understand the full range of possibilities and the taxation potential of the range of products based upon the coca leaf, but this will be problematic while coca remains a controlled substance with the formal UN position being that it is harmful and addictive. If countries do legalise coca production in their own countries, as in Bolivia, then the implications of the fragile government institutions for the production of legal coca leaf products while prohibiting the production of cocaine need to be fully assessed and addressed. The rule of law and government institutions, most particularly those in the security and judicial sectors, will need to be strengthened before real progress can be made to enable the Andean Countries to benefit from a legal market in coca leaf products. Details: London: All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform for Drug Policy Reform (APPG - UK), 2013. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 6, 2013 at: http://www.undrugcontrol.info/images/stories/documents/coca-leaf-political-dilemma.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Latin America URL: http://www.undrugcontrol.info/images/stories/documents/coca-leaf-political-dilemma.pdf Shelf Number: 131586 Keywords: Coca Leaf (Latin America)Drug Policy ReformNarcotics |
Author: Kilmer, Beau Title: Before the Grand Opening: Measuring Washington State's Marijuana Market in the Last Year Before Legalized Commercial Sales Summary: In 2012, Washington state voters passed Initiative 502 (I-502), which removed the prohibition on the production, distribution, and possession of marijuana for nonmedical purposes and required the state to regulate and tax a new marijuana industry. Legalization of possession went into effect almost immediately, but the revolutionary aspect of the law - allowing businesses to openly produce and distribute commercial-scale quantities for nonmedical use - is expected to be fully implemented in 2014. Decisionmakers in Washington need baseline information about the amount of marijuana that is currently consumed in the state for many reasons. For example, it is important for making informed decisions about the number of licenses to distribute, to accurately project tax revenues, and to provide a foundation for evaluations of I-502. This report estimates the total weight of marijuana consumed in Washington in 2013 using data from existing household surveys as well as information from a new web-based consumption survey. Although the principal motivation for the study was estimating the size of the market, the report also describes various characteristics of the market, including traits of marijuana users in Washington and how they obtain marijuana. While the Washington Office of Financial Management projected that 85 metric tons (MT) of marijuana would be consumed in the state in 2013, this report suggests that estimate is probably too low, perhaps by a factor of two. There is inevitable uncertainty surrounding estimates of illegal and quasi-illegal activities, so it is better to think in terms of a range of possible sizes, rather than a point estimate. Analyses suggest a range of 135-225 MT, which might loosely be thought of as a 90-percent confidence interval, with a median estimate close to 175 MT. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, Drug Policy Research Center, 2013. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR400/RR466/RAND_RR466.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR400/RR466/RAND_RR466.pdf Shelf Number: 132177 Keywords: Drug LegalizationDrug MarketsDrug Policy ReformMarijuana |
Author: Inter-American Commission of Women Title: Women and Drugs in the Americas: A Policy Working Paper Summary: During the sixth summit of the Americas (April 2012, Cartagena), leaders of various countries of the Americas issued a mandate to the Organization of American States (OAS) to analyze current drug policies and explore new approaches, with a view to developing viable alternatives that would effectively regulate the production, trade, and consumption of drugs of illicit substances while alleviating the violence and harm associated with current approaches to this issue. Since then, the hemispheric response to the "World Drug Problem" has been a changing landscape, and many more leaders have since called for reform of international and national-level drug policies to include more effective and humane alternatives to dealing with this global crisis. Previous measures to suppress drug production and consumption have been extreme, and have often proved ineffective. Methods such as aerial fumigation to suppress cultivation or mass incarceration as a response to drug consumption and small scale trafficking, have taken governments and societies further away from their original objective of preventing drug misuse and guaranteeing universal access to health and treatment for addiction, as set out in the 1961 convention on narcotic drugs. These first UN conventions of 1961 and 1971, prepared primarily from a punitive and prohibitionist perspective, created and sustained a 'War on Drugs' mentality. The 'War on Drugs' - a rhetorical device coined under former US President Nixon's leadership - has been progressively abandoned by the majority of States in the region (including the United States), who now recognize a need for drug policy reform and a more realistic, evidence-based approach to the changing and growing phenomenon of illicit drugs and their related issues. This paradigm shift has generated a number of alternative proposals and responses to the complex issue of drugs, including the promotion of a public health approach that favours treatment instead of incarceration, the safeguarding of human rights, and the endorsement of human rights-based and harm-reduction strategies to address the violence inherent in the trafficking of illicit substances, as well as the stigma attached to their use. At the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September 2013, Colombia, Mexico, and Guatemala, among other States, spoke of the urgent need to explore alternatives to the "War on Drugs." Uruguay presented a proposal to create the world's first national, non-medical, regulated market for cannabis. This bill has since been signed into law, the regulation for which is currently being designed and is expected to take effect later this year. Uruguay's non-punitive response to drug use comes at a time when many transit countries, including Guatemala, have experienced a gradual shift in attitudes and approaches around mitigating the harms of the drugs trade on their local communities. In transit countries, the negative effects of the illicit drugs industry on human and economic development are most keenly felt, and exacerbated by punitive policies that tend to affect vulnerable members of society who might participate in the drug trade due to financial crises and coercion at the lower level of the commercialization ladder. Claims by the media, paired with the scarce data available suggest that in the last two decades, the participation of women in the trade of illicit drugs has increased significantly. Nevertheless, while this participation is visible in the news, it has been largely absent from the research and other activities of most governmental and inter-governmental bodies. In general, we know relatively little about the people that participate in the question of illicit drugs - be they men or women. As usually happens in other areas, we understand even less about women's participation and we tend to interpret it through assumptions and stereotypes that on the one hand, complicate an adequate understanding of the social, economic, and cultural factors that determine this participation and, on the other hand, produce negative effects for women in terms of increased social stigmatization of their participation. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Commission of Women, 2014. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Working Paper: Accessed May 3, 2014 at: http://www.oas.org/en/cim/docs/WomenDrugsAmericas-EN.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South America URL: http://www.oas.org/en/cim/docs/WomenDrugsAmericas-EN.pdf Shelf Number: 132203 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Policy ReformFemale Drug OffendersSubstance Abuse TreatmentWar on Drugs |
Author: Simms, Nicole Title: Collateral Costs: Racial Disparities and Injustice in Minnesota's Marijuana Laws Summary: Blacks in Minnesota are 6.4 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, one of the nation's highest disparities, according to FBI statistics. Our latest report finds these disproportionate arrest rates further exacerbate equity gaps for individuals and neighborhoods in communities of color. The research set out to determine costs beyond fines and attorney fees to individuals arrested and/or convicted for marijuana possession, including lost economic opportunity, property forfeiture, being removed from social safety net programs, and emotional distress. Even a low-level marijuana conviction can cost someone up to $76,000 over a decade using fairly conservative estimates. As a result, Minnesota 2020 is joining a growing body of legal experts and community activists in calling for marijuana law reform. The report's recommendations range from fairer seizure laws and more accountable enforcement strategy to full legalization. The laws and strategy used to fight the war on drugs have had a devastating impact on communities of color. An honest discussion about marijuana law reform must include all options and acknowledge the reality that deterrents to marijuana use have been ineffective. A variety of factors contribute to the disparities in arrest rates. Over-policing in communities of color, cultural differences in where and how marijuana is used and purchased, and grants and seizure policies that incentivize volume over quality in drug arrests are major factors for the disparity. As a result, blacks in Ramsey County are 8.8 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, the state's highest disparity for 2011. Hennepin and Steele counties follow, with blacks in both places 6.4 time more likely to be arrested. When state and federal policies strip wealth out of communities, it's time to reexamine our approach to social, economic, and criminal justice issues. By highlighting collateral costs individuals and communities suffer from marijuana enforcement disparities, we hope to reframe the debate about marijuana reform. Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota 2020, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2014 at: http://www.mn2020.org/assets/uploads/article/collateral_costs_web.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.mn2020.org/assets/uploads/article/collateral_costs_web.pdf Shelf Number: 132361 Keywords: Drug OffendersDrug Policy (U.S.)Drug Policy ReformMarijuanaRacial Disparities |
Author: Malinowska-Sempruch, Kasia Title: The Impact of Drug Policy on Women Summary: Across the globe, the failure of the war on drugs has come at an enormous cost to women. Punitive drug laws and policies pose a heavy burden on women and, in turn, on the children for whom women are often the principal caregivers. Prohibitionist policies impede access to and use of HIV and hepatitis C prevention and care services for everyone, but women and girls virtually always face a higher risk of transmission of these infections. Men suffer from unjust incarceration for minor drug offenses, but in some places women are more likely than men to face harsh sentences for minor infractions. Treatment for drug dependence is of poor quality in many places, but women are at especially high risk of undergoing inappropriate treatment or not receiving any treatment at all. All people who use drugs face stigma and discrimination, but women are often more likely than men to be severely vilified as unfit parents and "fallen" members of society. In drug policy reform debates and movements happening around the world, the rights of women should be a central concern. Less punitive laws for minor and nonviolent drug infractions are the best single means of reducing incarceration of women and thus incarceration-related abuse. Such measures will also reduce stigma and enable women to have better access to services in the community. The Impact of Drug Policy on Women elaborates on the gender dimension of drug policy and law, with attention to the burdens that ill-conceived policies and inadequate services place on women and girls. Details: Washington, DC: Open Society Foundations, 2015. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2015 at: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/ungass-impact-drug-policy-women-20150507.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/ungass-impact-drug-policy-women-20150507.pdf Shelf Number: 135851 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Policy ReformGender-Based ProgramsWar on Drugs |
Author: International Drug Policy Consortium Title: A Public Health Approach to Drug Use in Asia: Principles and Practices for Decriminalisation Summary: In this report, the International Drug Policy Consortium offers recommendations based on evidence and examples of good practice to inform a shift in policy responses to drug use in Asia away from criminalisation and punishment, and towards public health and harm reduction. It describes effective approaches to the decriminalisation of drug use. It also discusses approaches implemented in Asia that have proven ineffective, such as the detention of people who use drugs in compulsory centres as a form of 'rehabilitation'. The report is intended as a resource for policy makers, legislators, communities of people who use drugs and civil society organisations in Asia. The overall goal of the report is to offer guidance on steps that countries can undertake to develop drug policies that achieve better public health outcomes, by shifting away from the criminalisation and punishment of people who use drugs. It also describes legal and policy responses to drugs that are not effective, such as the detention of people who use drugs in compulsory centres for drug users, forced urine testing, compulsory registration and other punitive measures. Details: London: IDPC, 2016. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2016 at: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64663568/library/Drug-decriminalisation-in-Asia_ENGLISH-FINAL.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Asia URL: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/64663568/library/Drug-decriminalisation-in-Asia_ENGLISH-FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 138559 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug LegalizationDrug PolicyDrug Policy Reform |
Author: Schaffer, Adam Title: Between Rhetoric and Reform: Criminal Justice Reform in the United States Summary: After decades of implementing-and exporting-"tough on crime" policies that prioritize arrest and incarceration for even minor drug offenses, the United States is reconsidering its criminal justice system. These reforms should be noted in Latin America, a new report released today argues, as the region faces surging prison populations driven in part by draconian U.S.-sponsored policies. From 1973 to 2009, the total U.S. prison population increased over seven-fold as more low-level offenders were incarcerated-instead of receiving non-prison punishments-and a range of offenses garnered significantly longer sentences. Much of the change came as part of the "War on Drugs," and arrest and incarceration rates for drug offenses saw a particularly marked rise. From 1980 to 2010, the imprisonment rate for drug crimes grew from 15 per 100,000 to 143 per 100,000; a nearly ten-fold increase. Yet in recent years, the United States has begun to see a paradigm shift. Proposals are emerging to replace zero-tolerance policies, which sought to criminalize all aspects of drug-related behavior, with alternatives to incarceration and more fair sentencing policies. Calls for reform have spanned the political spectrum, as liberal groups call attention to the racial and socioeconomic disparities in the enforcement of drug laws, while conservative groups question the enormous financial costs (and questionable benefits) associated with mass incarceration. There is emerging bipartisan agreement that current drug laws-and sentencing practices more broadly-are ineffective, wasteful, and unjust. Details: Washington, DC: Washington Office of Latin America, 2016. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2016 at: http://www.wola.org/sites/default/files/Between%20Rhetoric%20and%20Reform_Web.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.wola.org/sites/default/files/Between%20Rhetoric%20and%20Reform_Web.pdf Shelf Number: 138637 Keywords: Criminal Justice ReformDrug Policy ReformMass Incarceration |
Author: Bewley-Taylor, David Title: Cannabis Regulation and the UN Drug Treaties: Strategies for Reform Summary: As jurisdictions enact reforms creating legal access to cannabis for purposes other than exclusively "medical and scientific," tensions surrounding the existing UN drug treaties and evolving law and practice in Member States continue to grow. How might governments and the UN system address these growing tensions in ways that acknowledge the policy shifts underway and help to modernize the drug treaty regime itself, and thereby reinforce the UN pillars of human rights, development, peace and security, and the rule of law? Details: Washington, DC: Washington Office on Latin America, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Paper: Accessed June 29, 2016 at: http://www.wola.org/sites/default/files/Cannabis%20Regulation%20and%20the%20UN%20Drug%20Treaties_June%202016_web_0.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www.wola.org/sites/default/files/Cannabis%20Regulation%20and%20the%20UN%20Drug%20Treaties_June%202016_web_0.pdf Shelf Number: 139533 Keywords: Cannabis Drug Legalization Drug Policy Drug Policy ReformMarijuana |
Author: Royal Society for Public Health Title: Taking a New Line on Drugs Summary: 'Taking a New Line on Drugs' assesses the situation in the UK as regards rising health harm from illegal drugs, with reference to their context within the wider 'drugscape' of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, and sets out a new vision for a holistic public health-led approach to drugs policy at a UK-wide level. From a public health perspective, the purpose of a good drugs strategy should be to improve and protect the public's health and well-being by preventing and reducing the harm linked to substance use, whilst also balancing any potential medicinal benefits. RSPH is calling for the UK to consider exploring, trialling and testing such an approach, rather than one reliant on the criminal justice system. Key recommendations: Transferring lead responsibility for UK illegal drugs strategy to the Department of Health, and more closely aligning this with alcohol and tobacco strategies. Preventing drug harm through universal Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education in UK schools, with evidence-based drugs education as a mandatory, key component. Creating evidence-based drug harm profiles to supplant the existing classification system in informing drug strategy, enforcement priorities, and public health messaging. Decriminalising personal use and possession of all illegal drugs, and diverting those whose use is problematic into appropriate support and treatment services instead, recognising that criminalising users most often only opens up the risk of further harm to health and well-being. Dealers, suppliers and importers of illegal substances would still be actively pursued and prosecuted, while evidence relating to any potential benefits or harm from legal, regulated supply should be kept under review. Tapping into the potential of the wider public health workforce to support individuals to reduce and recover from drug harm. Details: London: Royal Society for Public Health, 2016. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 27, 2016 at: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/policy/protecting-the-public-s-health/taking-a-new-line-on-drugs.html Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/policy/protecting-the-public-s-health/taking-a-new-line-on-drugs.html Shelf Number: 140055 Keywords: Drug Policy Drug Policy ReformIllegal Drugs |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: Every 25 Seconds: The Human Toll of Criminalizing Drug Use in the United States Summary: Every 25 seconds someone in the United States is arrested for possessing drugs for personal use. This amounts to more than 1.25 million arrests per year and makes drug possession the single most arrested crime in the country. Black and white adults use drugs at similar rates, but a Black adult is 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for drug possession. As a result of these arrests, on any given day at least 137,000 people are behind bars. Tens of thousands more are convicted, cycle through jails and prisons, and spend extended periods on probation and parole, often burdened with crippling debt from court-imposed fines and fees. Every 25 Seconds: The Human Toll of Criminalizing Drug Use in the United States documents the devastating harms caused by enforcement of drug possession laws. This joint report by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union is based on extensive new analysis of federal and state-level data, and over 365 interviews conducted primarily in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and New York. Members of the public understandably want government to take actions to prevent the potential harms of drug use. Yet criminalization is not the answer. Four decades after the declaration of the "war on drugs," rates of drug use have not significantly decreased and treatment for drug dependence is often unavailable. Instead, criminalizing drug possession has caused tremendous harm - separating families; excluding people from job opportunities, public benefits, and voting; and exposing them to discrimination. Human Rights Watch and the ACLU urge federal and state authorities to end these harms by decriminalizing personal use and possession of all drugs. The report also provides detailed recommendations authorities should follow to minimize the harmful consequences of current laws and policies, until decriminalization is achieved. Details: New York: HRW, 2016. 205p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2016 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/usdrug1016_web.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/usdrug1016_web.pdf Shelf Number: 144931 Keywords: DecriminalizationDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug EnforcementDrug OffendersDrug PolicyDrug Policy Reform |
Author: Chaparro, Sergio Title: Irrational Punishment: Drug Laws and Incarceration in Latin America Summary: The new study by The Research Consortium on Drugs and the Law (CEDD) provides recent statistical information on those who are detained, prosecuted and incarcerated for drug offenses in Latin America. Existing evidence shows that around the world, drug policies have produced social, economic, institutional and other costs. The use of penal sanctions also implies costs for those who have been and are incarcerated. The costs are not only borne by those who are incarcerated, but also on their dependents, families and communities. Children of incarcerated parents, though they themselves have commited no crimes, can be pushed deeper into poverty or left homeless. Our most recent study illustrates these issues with national and regional data and provides information on how these policies affect specific sectors of the population, such as women and minors. The most recent information produced by CEDD shows how incarceration rates have increased for drug offenses in the countries studied, even as a widespread regional debate takes place on the need to explore alternative drug policies and, in particular, alternatives to incarceration. Countries across the region often impose mandatory preventative detention and harsh penalties for low-level crimes on people who participate in the lowest levels of drug trafficking networks (such as drug couriers or small-scale dealers). The vast majority of those put behind bars are easily replaced and therefore their incarceration makes no dent in the drug trade. Based on this research, CEDD calls for fundamental reform of drug laws and their implementation in Latin America. Details: s.l.: The Research Consortium on Drugs and the Law (Colectivo de Estudios Drogas y Derecho, CEDD) , 2017. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 21, 2017 at: http://www.drogasyderecho.org/files/Irrational_Punishments_ok.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Latin America URL: http://www.drogasyderecho.org/files/Irrational_Punishments_ok.pdf Shelf Number: 145135 Keywords: Drug Enforcement Drug Laws Drug Offenders Drug Policy Drug Policy ReformDrug Trafficking |
Author: Ramirez, Socorro Title: Drug Policy in the Andes: Seeking Humane and Effective Alternatives Summary: The Andean-United States Dialogue Forum, which is supported by the Carter Center and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), met in 2010 and 2011 with the participation of 35 prominent citizens who are involved in diverse social processes and the shaping of public opinion and dialogue with governments. Participants came from a variety of sectors in six countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the United States and Venezuela). The working group on drug policy and organized crime was established at the first meeting of the Forum and implemented a plan for national consultations through meetings, events and interviews in the five Andean countries, to analyze drug policy successes, failures and alternatives. Two members of the working group, Socorro Ramirez and Coletta Youngers, were asked to develop a report as a contribution to the current discussion of the issue and efforts to develop effective, humane policies. Fifty years after signing the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and 40 years after the U.S. government declared a "war on drugs," many obstacles remain despite the partial successes of efforts to counter the problem. Organized crime tied to drug trafficking continues to rise, aggravating violence that involves gangs and hired assassins, murders and arms trafficking. These criminal organizations take advantage of all forms of illicit interaction with the state: corruption, impunity and infiltration. They also try to block action by police and the courts by co-opting or assassinating public officials, legislators and prosecutors. A growing symbiosis between the state and organized crime spreads insecurity and weakens democratic institutions. The election of Barack Obama raised expectations that Washington would acknowledge the urgent need for a change in drug policy. It is fair to highlight a shift in language and tone under the Obama administration, which has stopped using the term "war on drugs" and has acknowledged the need to treat drug use as a public health problem. It is also noteworthy that the White House is taking a less interventionist stance in response to alternatives emerging in the region. Specific policy reforms have yet to be defined, however. The regional dynamic has changed with the "left turn" that has occurred in the majority of South American countries, as well as the diversification in these countries' international relations. Countries are seeking their own platform, such as the Andean Community (CAN) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), to discuss policies and respond to priority issues on the international agenda. The limitations of the current drug policy is causing increasing frustration within and between countries and is leading policy makers, experts and activists in the region to seek new strategies to contain the escalation of illicit markets and minimize the harm done to people, communities and states by drug production and use. The work of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy and of the Global Commission on Drug Policy has begun to break the taboo that has blocked progress in discussions of policy assessment and alternatives. In the present report, the authors describe a series of alternatives being considered and, in some cases, implemented in Latin America. These alternative policies are reflected in the following recommendations. The authors recommend that governments, shapers of public opinion and civil society in the Andean countries: Take the proposals of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy and the Global Commission on Drug Policy as points of departure when formulating drug policy and launch an educational and media campaign to help remove ideological biases from the debate while promoting a more evidence-based and regional approach to drug policy. Include additional state institutions (not just those related to police or military activities) in this shared task, along with the widest possible range of eminent individuals, communications media, health experts, non-governmental organizations, civil society and community organizations, churches and academics. Support the Global Commission on Drug Policy's call for a deeper debate on new approaches that focus on reducing the harm caused to the most vulnerable sectors of society affected by the production, trafficking and consumption of drugs, which would benefit the Andean countries in their efforts to develop humane and effective policies. Take into consideration efforts to implement new policies based on specific national situations and local cultural or social circumstances. Support the August 10, 2009 declaration by the governments of the UNASUR countries, in which they "recognize that the chewing of coca leaves is an ancestral cultural manifestation of the Bolivian people which must be respected by the international community." Strengthen dialogue and agreements among the Andean countries and within the frameworks of CAN and UNASUR and ensure the participation of civil society in these regional entities; implement UNASUR's South American Council on the World Drug Problem; and hold a regional meeting to discuss the development of a common agenda on drug policy. Implement solid drug use prevention, treatment and harm-reduction policies that respect human rights and offer adequate care to those who need it, treat drug use as a public health problem rather than a crime, and allocate the necessary resources to achieve this goal. Support the recommendation of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy to evaluate "the convenience of decriminalizing the possession of cannabis for personal use." Decriminalize personal consumption, use alternatives to incarceration for perpetrators of minor, non-violent crimes, and apply humanitarian considerations to confront the devastating impact the increase of women incarcerated for drug trafficking is having on their lives, their families and their communities. Advance towards an agreement among the Andean countries to end the forced eradication of small farmers' crops and redirect resources toward rural development. Adopt an "alternative livelihoods" approach that involves an appropriate sequence of actions: once other sources of income are established, crops for illegal markets can be reduced. This strategy implies decriminalizing relations with small farmers, instead making them partners in the effort to foster integrated rural development. Redirect law-enforcement efforts toward dismantling criminal organizations and networks linked to drug trafficking; improve and target intelligence activities; transform the exercise of politics; strengthen institutions; confront corruption and empower communities-especially those located in border areas. Strengthen mechanisms to protect democratic institutions from the corrosive influence of illicit political financing from drug trafficking by leveling the electoral playing field through measures such as public financing for parties and candidates, financial transparency during campaigns and sanctions against parties that include confirmed "narco-candidates" on their tickets. Details: Stockholm: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance - International; Atlanta, GA: The Carter Center, 2011. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2018 at: https://www.tni.org/files/publication-downloads/book-drug-policy-in-the-andes.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Latin America URL: https://www.tni.org/files/publication-downloads/book-drug-policy-in-the-andes.pdf Shelf Number: 149881 Keywords: Drug Control PolicyDrug EnforcementDrug Policy ReformDrug TraffickingOrganized Crime |
Author: International Expert Group on Drug Policy Metrics Title: Aligning Agendas: Drugs, Sustainable Development, and the Drive for Policy Coherence Summary: Current drug policy too often has a negative impact on communities and runs counter to efforts to ameliorate poverty through sustainable development. However, this is often not captured by the metrics used to measure the impact of drug policy. One way to improve these metrics is to align them with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This would not only help overcome many of the limitations of drug policies resulting from suboptimal metrics but also make sure these policies enhance, rather than hinder, efforts to achieve the SDGs. This report analyzes how more precise, more complete, and better conceived metrics can help us to understand the impact of drug policy on sustainable development and the prospects of achieving the SDGs. The report is the result of over a year of work by the International Expert Group on Drug Policy Metrics, convened by the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum and the International Peace Institute. This group puts forward the following recommendations for the UN, member states, and the drug policy community: Develop a framework for policy coherence between drug policy and sustainable development. Create an external advisory committee bringing together experts on drug policy and sustainable development. Add SDG indicators related to drug policy. Put in place mechanisms to gather data on the effects of drug policies. Use the SDG indicators as a model for improving drug policy indicators. Prioritize outcome - rather than process-oriented metrics. Details: New York: International Peace Institute, 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2018 at: https://www.ipinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/1802_Aligning-Agendas.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.ipinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/1802_Aligning-Agendas.pdf Shelf Number: 149982 Keywords: Developing CountriesDrug ControlDrug EradicationDrug PolicyDrug Policy Reform |
Author: Open Society Justice Initiative Title: Corruption that Kills: Why Mexico Needs an International Mechanism to Combat Impunity Summary: In 2017, Mexico experienced its deadliest year in two decades, with homicides exceeding 25,000. Despite the many crimes which have been committed in Mexico, however, criminal accountability still remains virtually absent. The extraordinary violence Mexico is experiencing, and the questions it raises about collusion between state actors and organized crime, demand a commensurate response. This report calls for an international mechanism-based inside the country, but comprised of national and international staff-which would have a mandate to independently investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes and the corrupt acts that enable them. This report follows the Open Society Justice Initiative's 2016 report, Undeniable Atrocities, which found reasonable basis to believe that Mexican federal forces and members of the Zetas cartel have perpetrated crimes against humanity. Corruption That Kills was produced by the Open Society Justice Initiative in partnership with eight Mexican organizations: the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, the Diocesan Center for Human Rights Fray Juan de Larios, Families United for the Search of Disappeared Persons, Piedras Negras/Coahuila, I(dh)eas Human Rights Strategic Litigationos, the Mexican Institute of Human Rights and Democracy, Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center, the Foundation for Justice and Rule of Law, and PODER. Details: New York: Open Society Foundation, 2018. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2018 at: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/corruption-that-kills-en-20180502.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Mexico URL: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/corruption-that-kills-en-20180502.pdf Shelf Number: 150193 Keywords: Criminal Justice SystemsDrug Policy ReformHomicidesHuman RightsPolitical CorruptionViolence |
Author: Troyano Sanchez, Dora Lucila Title: Coca Industrialization: A Path to Innovation, Development, and Peace in Colombia Summary: For decades, Colombia has faced the challenge of promoting economic development and peace in its coca growing regions while quelling the flow of coca for unlawful purposes. During this time, the country has rarely considered promoting economic development with coca, partly because the national and international conversation has written off coca growers as one of the main drivers of the drug trade. Coca Industrialization: A Path to Innovation, Development, and Peace in Colombia seeks to challenge this perspective, primarily by conceiving of coca as an agricultural product with ample industrialization opportunities that fit within the existing national and international legal arrangements. This report explores coca's diverse potential in applications as varied as nutrition, natural medicine, personal care, and agro-industry-as well as coca's historical cultural uses. The report addresses the following questions regarding this controversial plant and its use in economic ventures: What are the benefits of coca leaf for nutrition? What examples are there in Colombia of initiatives that advance coca industrialization? Is there a legal framework for developing enterprises in Colombia based on coca? What would need to be true to expand the horizons for coca industrialization? The report suggests seeing the coca plant (Erythroxylum spp) as an agricultural product. It proposes building a coca leaf industry that, firstly, guarantees a sound income for farmers; secondly, provides good quality, sustainable raw materials for manufacturers; and, thirdly, ensures traceability, and control across the supply chain, with adherence to international laws. The report is divided into four sections. The first chapter, "What Does the Coca Leaf Offer," considers the coca leaf 's value and uses. It describes the results of a recent bromatological study that explores coca's nutritional value, applying the national regulator's standards for food products. This chapter concludes that coca indeed appears to have significant nutritional potential and offers a research agenda to help fully confirm this hypothesis. The second chapter, "Coca Industrialization Experiences," describes Colombian entrepreneurship surrounding coca leaf. It maps the business initiatives that have sprung up in the gray area of the current normative framework. This chapter briefly reviews Bolivia and Peru's coca leaf markets, and examines how these countries facilitated the development of new products across coca's traditional and modern uses. The third chapter, "The Normative Framework for Colombia," outlines and analyzes the laws and regulations relating to coca. Despite Colombia's political changes, industrializing coca leaf for non-drug uses remains challenging. The current policy framework tolerates a gray area where small businesses can operate, but has failed to define norms that would promote industry growth from farmer to end user. We scan the laws passed since colonial times right up to the State Council ruling issued in the first half of 2015, which widened the narrow legal window that allows coca manufacturing and distribution. The final chapter, "Horizons for Coca Industrialization," offers approaches for building a coca leaf industry around non-narcotic uses. We describe the experience of the National Training Service (SENA) partnership with the southern Cauca village of Lerma. This state-community partnership (which we call the Lerma Model) offers a process to incrementally build the coca leaf industry and gradually reform Colombia's coca control framework. The Lerma Model focuses on advancing community well-being via technological innovations that benefit the entire supply chain. Drawing from experiences in Lerma and the Andean region, we conclude with a proposal that reinforces the Colombian state's rural development policy stemming from the 2016 Peace Agreement framework. This proposal scales the Lerma Model into a social and technology innovation program based on sectoral pilots that accelerate coca industrialization while building a system of local social control. This strategy contributes to a more legitimate and effective drug and rural development policy via a process based on science, innovation, and mutual benefit, which invites all social and political sectors of a polarized country. Details: New York: Open Society Foundations, 2018. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Lessons for Drug Policy Series: Accessed May 25, 2018 at: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/path-to-innovation-evelopment-and-peace-in-colombia-en-20180521.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Colombia URL: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/path-to-innovation-evelopment-and-peace-in-colombia-en-20180521.pdf Shelf Number: 150368 Keywords: CocaineDrug MarketsDrug Policy ReformDrug TraffickingEconomic DevelopmentIllicit Drugs |
Author: Health Poverty Action Title: Punishing poverty - How the failed 'war on drugs' harms vulnerable communities: Case studies of Brazil and India Summary: Around the world the so called 'war on drugs' is collapsing. Many countries are replacing the prohibition of illicit drugs, with new approaches which prioritise and protect people's health and wellbeing. Whilst reform is underway, it is not happening nearly fast enough or reaching far enough. The prohibitionist criminal justice approach that has dominated drug policy for the past 50 years continues to destroy livelihoods and claim lives. The people most affected aren't those in charge of the drugs trade. Instead, it's those caught up at the lowest levels in a trade that is destroying their lives and communities, particularly in the global south. Prohibition has failed to reduce the world's supply of illicit drugs. Meanwhile the heavy handed and often militarised law enforcement approach that often goes with it - directed primarily at those involved at the lowest level in the production and supply of illicit drugs - has fueled poverty, inequality, corruption and violence. This is felt most sharply by marginalised communities and women who engage in the small-scale trade out of necessity or lack of alternatives. In these contexts of significant vulnerability, powerlessness and poverty, the drugs trade can offer a decent income or means of survival, where no other exists. Details: London: HPC, 2019. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2019 at: http://fileserver.idpc.net/library/Punishing-poverty-research-report-WEB.pdf Year: 2019 Country: International URL: http://fileserver.idpc.net/library/Punishing-poverty-research-report-WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 154489 Keywords: BrazilDrug EnforcementDrug OffendersDrug Policy ReformIllicit DrugsIndiaPovertyWar on Drugs |