The government declared the bill sought to replace failed cannabis policies, reduce the informal market and protect young people, but it is likely to face fierce parliamentary debate.
Recent media coverage oversimplifies and misrepresents the root causes of homelessness, drug dependence issues and crime, which respond not to drug decriminalisation but broader socio-structural factors, including social exclusion, the housing crisis, economic insecurity, and the lasting impacts of a global pandemic.
Falling prices have plunged thousands of coca-growing families into hardship, underscoring the need for sustainable solutions to rural communities' precarious dependence on this unstable illicit market.
Drug policy reform, non-custodial measures and tackling the root causes of involvement in criminalised activities are among the many ways states can curb skyrocketing women incarceration rates.
By flattening the complex relationship between state actors, citizens and globalised informal drug economies, the term often serves to fuel stigma, harmful stereotypes and further violence.
Following the the first known execution of a woman in two decades in Singapore and a string of recent executions for drug-related offences, Helen Clark, former New Zealand Prime Minister condemns the use of the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstances.
Instead of doubling down on counterproductive prohibitionist policies, governments should invest in evidence-based health alternatives, supportive services, and better approaches to regulation such as safer supply.
Following the release of the UNAIDS report titled 'The path that ends AIDS', this article underscores how ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic necessitates drug decriminalisation.
Drug-testing at festivals in the UK now requires a time-consuming and expensive license, making it virtually impossible for organisations seeking to provide this life-saving measure.
Proposals for cannabis legalisation fell short of the required votes, however the fact the initiative reached the final debate for the first time underscores that the forces for reform in Colombia are stronger than ever.
While a full legal regulation model is yet to be implemented in Luxembourg, new legislation permits adults to possess up to three grams of cannabis and cultivate up to four plants in a secure location.
