UNODC, together with UNAIDS, UNICEF and UNDP, has established a project to reduce the risk and impact of HIV/AIDS in the north east region of India, an ethnically diverse area bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh. Building on years of experience on similar efforts, this project aims to help local communities prevent the spread of HIV through unsafe injecting drug use, especially among vulnerable populations -of which women represent a large part.

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Preventing HIV/AIDS among women who use drugs in north eastern India

The Minnesota Senate passed a bill Tuesday legalizing medical marijuana that is more ambitious than Gov. Mark Dayton and law enforcement officials have said they would support.

The legislation, approved by senators on a bipartisan 48-18 vote, would allow patients to use marijuana in the form of pills, oil and vapor to ease their symptoms but would prohibit them from smoking the drug. Minnesota would be the only state with legalized medical marijuana to ban patients from smoking it to ease their symptoms.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

Minnesota Senate passes medical marijuana bill & could become only state that bans smoking

The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) concluded on May 1, 2014 its 55th Regular Session with a review of current drug policies in the Hemisphere, in compliance with the mandate that the hemispheric institution received from the leaders of the region at the Summit of the Americas in 2012.

The OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, participated in the final session of the three day meeting of CICAD and thanked the commissioners of the 34 member countries for their active participation in the meetings. Secretary General Insulza highlighted the contributions that the hemispheric institution has made to the global drug problem, and called both the Report on the Drug Problem in the Americas (Analytical Report and Scenarios Report), and the Declaration of Antigua Guatemala adopted by all Member States of the OAS at the 2013 General Assembly in in Guatemala, that calls for a Special General Assembly focused on the discussion of the issue, "substantial contributions to the discussions on this topic that are being developed around the world."

Secretary General Insulza said that the conclusions of the Special General Assembly that the OAS will hold on the world drug problem in September in Guatemala "will surely represent a major contribution to the debate on drug policy that the United Nations will undertake in 2016."

The Executive Secretary of CICAD, Paul Simons, introduced the Work Plan for 2014, and listed the five program areas in which the work of the Commission will be based: Institutional Strengthening; Demand Reduction; Supply Reduction; Control Measures; and International Cooperation. He reiterated that "all activities and programs will support the Hemispheric Drug Strategy and its Plan of Action."

CICAD reviews current drug policies in the Hemisphere at 55th Regular Session

Four in every ten women who die a drug-related death have previously been reported as victims of domestic abuse, new figures have revealed.

A leading expert described the link as disturbing.

David Liddell, the director of the Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF) said addicts often endured abuse at home, but could miss out on proper support due to the stigma surrounding their drug use. He was speaking after official figures revealed that four out of every ten women who suffered a drug related death in 2012 also had a history of domestic abuse.

Mr Liddell said: "This figure should be disturbing to all of us. One of the challenges for a woman with a drug problem and on the receiving end of domestic abuse is where to go for help when they are doubly stigmatised."

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'Disturbing' link between domestic violence and drug deaths in Scotland

The Uruguayan government has unveiled long-awaited regulations for its recreational marijuana market — a move that steers the tiny nation of 3.3 million people away from the prohibitionist war on drugs, with its disastrous consequences in Latin America, and toward a drug policy based on improving public health and security. Although Uruguay’s Congress approved the measure in December — becoming the first country in the world to legalize recreational pot use — it was just this week that the government of President José Mujica announced all the details.

The regulations allow three forms of access to marijuana. Uruguayans can purchase up to 40 grams per month – with a limit of 10 grams per week – from registered pharmacies. They can also choose to cultivate up to 6 homegrown plants, with a cap on annual production at 480 grams. Finally, as members of cannabis clubs, Uruguayans will be able to cultivate up to 99 plants per group, with a production cap of 480 grams per member. But smokers must choose one form of acquiring pot, and will be denied access to the drug by the other two means. The law officially takes effect on May 6, the government announced Friday.

Uruguay unveils marijuana regulation details

While the West carries on its steady course towards legalisation, piggybacking on the ever-increasing awareness of marijuana's medicinal properties, Japan's cannabis laws remain resolutely harsh. However, a recently discovered loophole allows for the non-psychoactive compound, CBD, to be imported and consumed within Japan. CBD, which has numerous health benefits, is extracted from the stalk of the plant, whereas Japanese law only forbids use of the plant's leaves and flowers.

Shirasaka, head member of Taima Houdou Centre, a legalisation group and advocate for medicinal cannabis – and the man who discovered the CBD loophole – is currently awaiting trial for marijuana possession but plans to fight his case on the basis of cannabis's remarkable therapeutic properties. VICE went to visit Shirasaka as he prepares for his trial.

VICE also visits terminally ill cancer patient POP – a woman who claims that CBD has helped her live years beyond her prognosis – and witness a family with a severely epileptic child try CBD for the first time, with incredible results.

Read the full article and watch the video here.

The battle for medical marijuana in Japan 

The authorities have moved to reclassify a list of so-called “legal highs” — which mimic the effects of drugs such as cocaine and Ecstasy — as Class A controlled drugs, making the abuse of such substances an offence punishable by imprisonment and caning.

Known as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), they are mainly produced by introducing slight modifications to the chemical structures of controlled drugs. They were listed in the Fifth Schedule of the Misuse of Drugs Act enacted last year, which allows the authorities to seize them, but the trafficking, manufacture, import, export, possession or consumption of them did not constitute an offence.

With the reclassification, anyone found guilty of trafficking any NPS will face at least five years in jail and five strokes of the cane. A person found abusing any NPS can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $20,000, or both.

New psychoactive drugs become illegal in Singapore

Last week, AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s newest HIV mobile testing unit (MTU) hit the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia to bring free and accessible testing to residents of the city and the surrounding Leningrad Oblast (county).

The MTU, adorned in the colors of the Russian flag and a slogan calling on people to get tested, is the first of its kind in the country, and is a part of the new global 20x20 campaign. The campaign aims to get 20 million HIV positive people around the world on antiretroviral treatment by 2020, and scaling up testing is an integral part of achieving that goal.

Services like this MTU are particularly needed in Russia. UNAIDS estimates that two-thirds of the region’s people living with HIV reside here, and together with Ukraine these two countries account for 90% of newly registered cases of HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Testing hits the road in Russia, in style

Young Roma people in Serbia are particularly severely affected by the increase in use of traditional psychoactive substances, such as cannabis, inhalants (glue and solvents), heroin and alcohol. EDPI’s local partner, the NGO 'Re Generation', argues that these young people - a high proportion of whom live and work on the streets - are in need of special care.

A Roma girl, legally invisible, who may be a drug user/injecting drug user, a sex worker, a mother, HCV- and/or HIV-positive, isn't just on the margins of society - she's completely excluded from it. She bears the burden of stigma and discrimination, not only from the general population, but even from the Roma community. The culturally-embedded power imbalance exposes Roma girls to an increased risk of stigma, violence, and abuse - and in turn, these increase the likelihood that she will engage in behaviours which increase her vulnerability to HIV and other sexually-acquired conditions.

There is an essential need for gender-sensitive programs targeting the general population of young women, as well as Roma girls. The core activity of those programs should be outreach work with mobile teams. Experience of outreach work in Roma settlements confirms that education brings results - education about risk and risk-prevention filters through, across barriers of gender or age.

Roma girls, drug users in Serbia - locked into a repeating cycle of risks

International Doctors for Healthier Drug Policies writes to Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee asking him to veto a new law that would allow pregnant women with addiction problems to be arrested, prosecuted and incarcerated.

International Doctors for Healthier Drug Policies writes to Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee

April 2-4th marked the fourth annual Congress on the History and Use of Drugs held at the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH in Spanish). The topics during the conference were analyzed from a multidisciplinary perspective on the present, past and future uses of sacred plants. Lectures were given by Dr. Mercedes de la Garza on Sacred Plants in the Mayan world, Dr. Humberto Brocca on Altered Sobriety, Dr. Gady Zabicky on Cannabis and its Pharmacological Properties in Medicine, and anthropologist Julio Glockner gave a talk on From Deception to Cultural Misunderstanding.

In addition to lectures, panels were held on topics ranging from the Archaeology and History of Sacred Plants, Alternative Uses, Rituals and Therapy, and Economy and Tourism. Workshops were held to complement the lectures on issues of risk and harm reduction, the systematic history of drugs and a documentary on medical marijuana.

This is one of few conferences in the world that looks at the anthropological and historical uses of plants as a means to alter consciousness and compares that with our current reality. With high levels of participation, it is clear that there is a demand for spaces which welcome a multidisciplinary way of looking at the issues of drugs and drug use. A diverse group of organizations supported the event including IDPC members CuPIHD and Espolea.

IV Congress on the history and use of drugs: The past, present and future uses of sacred plants

Civil society organisations wrote an open letter toUNAIDS Executive Director, Mr. Sidibe, criticizing UNAIDS for supporting Russia's HIV policies.

On April 25, the Andrey Rylkov Foundation (ARF) published an open letter to UNAIDS Executive Director, Mr. Sidibe. The letter, signed by 21 international, regional and national level civil society organizations and networks, sharply criticizes the UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS for their de-facto endorsement of Russia’s ineffective HIV policies through sponsoring the fourth Eastern European and Central Asian AIDS Conference (EECAAC).The upcoming EECAAC will be held on 12-14 May in Moscow, Russia. HIV advocates from around the world believe that holding the regional HIV conference organized by the Russian government will contribute to promoting ineffective approaches in HIV response in Russia and other countries of the region.

“Russian authorities openly reject human rights and evidence based approaches to HIV prevention and treatment among key affected populations (KAP) of people who use drugs, MSM, sex workers. Since UNAIDS being the co-chair and sponsor of EECAAC, never contradicted these statements, we can only state that UNAIDS is in the full agreement with them,” said Anya Sarang, president of the Andrey Rylkov Foundation.

As a result of the deadly national HIV policies, Russia remains one of the world’s few countries with rising HIV incidence and mortality: 77,896 people were diagnosed with HIV and 22,387 people with HIV died in 2013 alone, or, respectively, 10.1% and 9.1% more than in in 2012.

Because of the current Russian legislation KAP representatives will be almost prohibited from participating in the conference and directly speaking for themselves. At the same time, the conference organizers are inviting to the EECAAC opening Russian officials and politicians who actively discredit evidence-based health programs and promote a totalitarian state control over civil society.

“We still hope that UNAIDS will stand up for those whose interests are being ignored, and voices suppressed,” adds Anya. “But when will it happen?”

 Anya Sarang (+7 926 870 85 18) and Artem Chapaev (+ 7 915 349 19 55)

Follow the Andrey Rylkov Foundation (ARF) on Twitter @AndreyRylkov and on Facebook.

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