A recent study suggests the ACT's cannabis legislation is mostly working as intended, but shows the majority of cannabis cultivators are engaging in illegal activity in order to grow it.

growing, possession and use of small amounts of cannabis was legalised in the ACT.

The research, conducted by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics based at the University of Sydney, indicated the five-year-old laws are having the intended effect.

Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative, Iain McGregor, said the legislation had "been a real positive for cultivators".

Nearly three years after the legislation was introduced, 311 people who grew cannabis were asked a series of questions.

Some respondents also sent samples of their cannabis for chemical analysis, including the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol — the chemical that produces a high — in them.

Australia: Canberra cultivators mainly grow 'mild and modest' cannabis, study finds

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 — Selangor’s Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim recently proposed urine screening to detect drug use among ravers or concert-goers.

 of four people who attended the New Year's Eve Pinkfish Festival in Sunway here.

Post-mortem reports indicated they died from complications caused by the drugs they consumed, likely to be ecstasy in pill form. Three other attendees were also hospitalised because they were suspected of taking the same pills.

There were mixed reactions to the proposal. Drug policy advocates suggested urine screening may not be effective at all, and could actually do more harm. The National Anti-Drug Agency, meanwhile, said the idea was impractical.

Why is urine screening may not be a good idea?

Palani Narayanan, Director of Drug Policy Program Malaysia, said urine screening is inherently defective as a solution to drug use problems

“Firstly, urine screening can only tell you if someone used a drug in the short past, say three weeks before, so someone who hasn’t taken a drug in six months will likely test negative,” he said.

“Now when they consume a drug at the music festival after having not taken anything in the last six months, just a small dose of drugs can be fatal because their tolerance level is lower than someone who takes drugs regularly,” he added.

“This person has a higher chance of fatal overdose and urine tests are useless to identify this.”

Then there is the cost factor. Urine screening is expensive. In the US, urine drug screening costs billions of dollars annually. Between 2011 and 2014, the cost of urine tests were reported to be around US$8.5 billion.

There is no available data on how much enforcement agencies spent on urine screening, but drug policy advocates believe it could reach hundreds of millions in the past ten years.

Palani said it makes little sense to pour money into a defective system that could be better spent on harm reduction measures like the health care workers who can advise people on the safety of the drugs they take.

Malaysia: Urine screening before concerts? Drug policy advocates explain why that may do more harm than good

This blog post was originally published by the EAPC blog and is available here.

Screams of pain punctuate households worldwide, but disproportionately more so in low and middle income countries.

Our home witnessed this for two years as my adoptive mother was ravaged by cancer. She was finally administered pentazocine two days before she died. It barely made a dent on the pain emanating from a backbone broken by cancer. As she took her last breath, we exhaled in guilty, tearful relief.

Twenty three years later, my biological mother lay dying of interstitial lung disease and needed oral morphine to ease her breathlessness. Despite working for a WHO Collaborating Centre for Training and Policy on Access to Pain Relief, getting access to these pills in the most populated state in India was a nightmare. Ironically, the same state where the only government-run opium and alkaloids factory is located. A local doctor reluctantly prescribed oral morphine, which was then sent from Kerala – an approximate distance of 1952 kms.

Read more from Smriti Rana’s powerful piece for the EAPC (European Association for Palliative Care) Blog 

The influence of colonialism on the pain relief access abyss

: To inform the preparation of the HRC-mandated comprehensive study on human rights and the social reintegration of persons released from detention and persons subjected to non-custodial measures

Human Rights Council resolution 57/9 of 9 October 2024, entitled “Social reintegration of persons released from detention and persons subjected to non-custodial measures”, requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to “prepare a comprehensive study, with practical recommendations, on human rights and the social reintegration of persons released from detention and persons subjected to non-custodial measures, with a view to assessing the benefits of further developing guiding principles”.

The resolution requests OHCHR to prepare the report based on wide consultations with relevant stakeholders.

The report will be presented to the Human Rights Council at its 60th session in September – October 2025.

The report aims to gather information on legislation, policies, programmes and other initiatives, including public-private partnerships, that facilitate the social reintegration of persons released from detention or subjected to non-custodial measures, with a particular emphasis on approaches grounded on human rights.

Download Human Rights Council resolution 57/9 on Social reintegration of persons released from detention and persons subjected to non-custodial measures: 

Unless otherwise stated, contributions will be made available in full and as received on this website.

Human rights and the social reintegration of persons released from detention and persons subjected to non-custodial measures - OHCHR call for inputs

Deep inside Somawathiya National Park in Sri Lanka, surrounded by barbed wire and electric fencing to keep the elephants away, lies the military-operated Kandakadu Drug Rehabilitation Center. Formerly an army camp set up to forcibly reform the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants who fought against the government during the 26-year civil war, it has now pivoted to treating drug-dependent people from all over the country.

In June 2022, Anthony Pathmaraja, whose name has been changed to conceal his identity, was being treated at the Kandakadu center for heroin and methamphetamine addiction, when he — along with 600 other inmates — tore down the gates and fled from the center into the jungle.

Their escape was triggered by the death of a fellow inmate, who, Pathmaraja claimed, had been beaten, waterboarded and ultimately murdered by the soldiers operating the center. “We heard the screams in the next room all night,” Pathmaraja, the son of a migrant worker, told New Lines. “In the morning we protested, demanding they let the media in, but when they refused, we broke out.”

Pathmaraja hid in the jungle for three days dodging crocodiles and elephants until he finally surrendered to the police after he contracted a painful throat infection from drinking river water. “I was very scared [in the jungle], and I couldn’t swallow once the infection set in, but I didn’t want to return no matter what,” he said.

Fifteen years after the end of the ethnic conflict between Tamil separatists and the Sri Lankan government, which claimed over 100,000 lives, Sri Lanka is dealing with a new crisis and engaging in a new war: a war on drugs. Conflict-ridden areas often struggle with increased substance abuse, partly due to new drug routes that emerge as a result of instability and inadequate rule of law.

While data on drug-related activities in Sri Lanka is largely limited to arrests, this number has been steadily increasing in the last five years. According to the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), over 89,000 people were arrested in 2019, compared with around 162,000 people in 2023, and arrests for methamphetamine possession, in particular, skyrocketed during the same period — to nearly 13 times more than the number in 2019.

In Sri Lanka, the army is engaging in a new war on drugs

: To inform the preparation of the report on sustainable HIV response with regard to the human rights of persons living with, at risk of or affected by HIV, to be presented to the Human Rights Council at its sixtieth session 2025

At its fifty-sixth session, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 

 on Human rights in the context of HIV and AIDS. The resolution requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report on sustainable HIV response with regard to the human rights of persons living with, at risk of or affected by HIV, to be presented to the Human Rights Council at its sixtieth session in September 2025.

In order to inform the preparations of the report, contributions are invited from States, National Human Rights Institutions, Civil Society Organizations, United Nations agencies, Funds and programmes, the academia, international and regional organizations, corporate entities, experts and persons living with, presumed to be living with, at risk of or affected by HIV.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

OHCHR is seeking inputs on the concrete steps and measures taken in relation to the below areas.

(a) What frameworks, legal reforms, policies and strategies are in place that are key to protect the rights of persons living with, at risk of or affected by HIV and ensure that responses to HIV are sustainable and equitable?

(b) What measures did you take or need to be taken to ensure the protection of human rights in settings, which are transitioning to a more sustainable HIV response, such as in contexts of conflict or disasters?

(c) How can domestic funding be improved to ensure universal and equitable access to HIV services?

(d) What are the key barriers to the promotion, protection and monitoring of human rights in relation to the HIV response? How can they be overcome?

(e) Please indicate innovative approaches and technologies pursued to promote equitable and affordable access to HIV responses.

(f) What measures have been taken to effectively combat HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and address the needs of marginalized populations in a sustainable manner?

(g) What measures did you take or are required for community-led organizations and affected persons to meaningfully contribute to decision-making and participate in the HIV response?

(h) How can HIV responses address intersectional issues, including those experienced by key populations, and women and girls. Please indicate concrete measures taken.

(i) What partnerships, coordination or collaborations have been most effective in ensuring lasting impacts of HIV response strategies? Please provide concrete examples.

(j) What are the top priorities and actionable recommendations in relation to human rights for a sustainable HIV response for your country or institution?

Your contribution will be made public on the OHCHR website, unless otherwise requested.

Input/comments may be sent by e-mail. They must be received by 

Call for input: OHCHR report on sustainable HIV response with regard to the human rights of persons living with, at risk of or affected by HIV

In Golba Hill on the Caribbean island of 

 (SVG), just below a cluster of colourfully decorated homes, there are rows and rows of premium marijuana plants. Gleaming like green gold in the Caribbean sun, they lead up to a crudely constructed hut where cannabis farmer Bobbis Matthews spends most of his time nurturing and protecting his precious field.

As he did his routine inspection, removing male plants that could diminish the potency of his crop, Matthews recalled a time, not too long ago, when the idea of a cannabis farm in a residential area was unthinkable.

Like many of SVG’s cannabis farmers, Matthews is a Rastafarian who spent years hiding illegal cannabis fields deep in the mountains and living in fear of US-backed antinarcotics operations that would destroy millions of dollars worth of the plant.

“It was hard! At least three times a year, US helicopters would come and tear down the crop. In those days, it felt like you couldn’t even say the word marijuana because just to say marijuana, you could get arrested,” Matthews said.

The Rastafarians opening up Caribbean cannabis farms to build a flourishing medical industry

Over the holidays, I received so many messages from friends that I should watch 

. I haven’t had a chance to see it but apparently it has moved so many people and opened their eyes to the situation of persons deprived of liberty in our country. I’m glad to hear of this development and happy to hear of a movie that humanizes one of the most stigmatized sectors of our society, reaching a wider audience and enjoy some commercial success. There is much to learn about the situation of our PDLs and I hope watching 

 is just the beginning of getting more Filipinos to advocate for their rights.
(...)

If we really want to decongest our jails, aside from reviewing and amending the Revised Penal Code, we must also review and amend our drug law. This was one of the main recommendations to come out of national sectoral consultations held in preparation for the Philippine Drug Policy and Law Reform Summit held last July 2024. Yes, another summit, I’m sorry, but this was the first time there was a conversation between representatives from different government agencies including law enforcement, local governments, nongovernment organizations, and community organizations about how the drug law has affected our justice system and our communities in such a profoundly harmful way.

Philippines: Will watching ‘Green Bones’ help decongest our jails?

The so-called war on drugs has failed. In the last century, countries have increasingly attempted absolute prohibition of drug use, often via penal measures. Despite global action, these policies have not deterred drug use: we have reached record levels of “abuse, illicit cultivation and production and manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances”, as acknowledged at the 2024 

 on Narcotic Drugs. Drug trafficking networks have become increasingly sophisticated and violent, and deaths related to drug use have increased.The disastrous impact of punitive attempts at complete drug elimination have been felt most keenly by society's most vulnerable individuals. Despite drug use being prevalent across all socioeconomic and demographic groups, arrests for and punishment of drug offences are concentrated among 

 and economically disadvantaged, culturally marginalised, and racially minoritised populations, further encumbering these groups with criminal records. If the purpose of drug policy is to reduce health and social harms, we have severely botched our response. We must drastically amend our approach.On Dec 5, the Global Commission on Drug Policy published a call-to-action 

Beyond Punishment: From Criminal Justice Responses to Drug Policy Reform

. This report urges immediate humane and evidence-based reframing of the problem and the solution: to lessen the damage of illicit drug use and dependency, we must put harm reduction strategies at the centre of our response and tackle the social determinants of drug use.

 practices pragmatically recognise that drug use will occur, but they attempt to reduce the adverse health and social effects of drugs. Effective examples include needle and syringe programmes (NSPs), which provide sterile equipment; peer-distributed naloxone, whereby people with lived experience distribute this opioid antagonist that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose; and opioid agonist therapy (OAT), which replaces illicit opioids with safer alternatives, such as methadone and buprenorphine. Supervised consumption sites often combine several measures, enabling people to use drugs in private spaces, equipped with clean and safe drug paraphernalia, and under medical supervision in case of overdose. But despite their known benefits, a 2023 

 found that high coverage of OAT and NSPs was present in only five countries, comprising just 2% of the global population of people who inject drugs, at a considerable risk to their health. Crucially, harm reduction measures should confer no risk of sanctions (such as fines, monitoring, or enforced treatment), to ensure participation.

Harm reduction must replace punitive drug policies

During the 141st session of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the Board held consultations with Member States on the human rights dimensions of drug control.

Opening the consultation, Prof. Jallal Toufiq, INCB President, emphasized that respect for human rights and implementation of the drug control conventions are mutually reinforcing, and reiterated INCB’s calls for human rights to be respected in the development and implementation of drug control policy. He went on to say: “Measures adopted with the purported aim of furthering drug control which are inconsistent with universally recognized human rights norms are a violation of the international drug control conventions.” Members of the Board spoke in depth about obligations stemming from human rights instruments, including the right to health, promotion of equality and non-discrimination towards people who use drugs, prohibition of arbitrary arrest and detention, the right to a fair trial for drug-related crimes, and protection against all forms of cruel and inhuman punishment. These statements are available on the INCB website. Representatives of 51 Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Vienna and one Permanent Observer attended the consultation and had the opportunity to share their perspectives.

During the session, the Board also held consultations with the Chair of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Philbert Abaka Johnson, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Ms. Ghada Waly, the World Health Organization and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

On the margins of the session, the Board concluded a memorandum of understanding with the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC). Signed by the INCB President and Katherine Pettus, Senior Advocacy and Partnerships Director of the International Association of Hospice and Palliative Care (@IAHPC), the cooperation agreement provides for exchange of research, data and analysis on the issue of availability and the dissemination of information to the international community. Speaking after the signing of the agreement, Prof. Toufiq noted: “INCB and IAHPC share common objectives with regard to the provision of guidance and support to governments and the international community on issues related to the availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. The Board is committed to ongoing cooperation with governments, international and regional organizations and civil society to further the health and welfare objectives of the drug control conventions, including to promote availability of internationally controlled medicines. This also extends to humanitarian emergencies, whether they be caused by natural disasters or armed conflict, where patient access to controlled medicines must be ensured”.

INCB holds consultation on the human rights dimensions of the international drug control treaties

The Robert Carr Fund’s mission is to expand and sustain the capacities of community-led and civil society networks to uphold rights, remove barriers to health services and achieve sustainable financial investment to end AIDS among inadequately served populations (ISPs). RCF is deeply committed to supporting transformative change in the HIV response, rooted in inclusivity, gender equality and intersectional approaches.

RCF is an outstanding international pooled funding mechanism exclusively supporting regional and global HIV networks led by and serving ISPs.

RCF announces the award of USD $23,380,000 to 25 grantees globally (consortia of networks and single networks), providing multiyear, core and flexible funding for organizational strengthening, increasing access to HIV and SRHR services, strengthening influence and advocacy and movement building. RCF will also provide ‘bridge’ funding, a total of USD $500,000 in total, to support 10 current grantees whose applications were not successful. This funding covers essential core costs and offers these networks time to mobilize resources and strengthen their fundraising strategies.

The Robert Carr Fund awards USD $23,380,000 to community-led networks for the 2025-2027 grant cycle

CORE – COmmunity Response to End Inequalities EU project meeting

, we had the chance to visit two of the several community-based centers of 

GAT, the Portuguese Activist Group on Treatments

. GAT, which was founded in 2001, is a structure of individual membership and cooperation between people from different communities and organizations affected by HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis.

They started as an advocacy organization, working for legal and policy changes that positively affect the health, rights, and quality of life of people living with HIV or at risk of becoming infected. They soon realized that vulnerable groups that are most affected by HIV, such as men having sex with men (MSM), sex workers, trans people, people who use drugs, and migrants, need tailored HIV services, and they started to build these programs for them. Today, GAT has one of the biggest reaches of key populations in Portugal, with 100 thousand HIV tests conducted annually.

GAT has several testing sites, all adapted more or less for key populations. All the sites are open to everyone but are built and offer services more tailored to key populations

, general director of services and projects at GAT.

Moreover, these services employ peers, people with lived experiences, as their key staff. “

Peers are people who share something in common with the people we support, either because they live with the infection or belong to a vulnerable group we support. It is often the peers who bring people to the interventions and can also be the link between people and different services.

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