A citizens’ initiative in Finland aiming to decriminalise cannabis gathered the required 50,000 signatures at the end of 2019.

The initiative, if accepted by the Finnish parliament, would make adult use, possession, and small scale growing of cannabis (up to 4 plants) no longer a criminal offense. The campaign for the initiative was implemented by the Finnish Cannabis Association.

The same week that the government of Norway presented their plan to decriminalise all drugs, there was an expert hearing at the Finnish parliamentary law committee on 17th of February 2021. The public hearing was supposed be broadcast live, but failed due to an unexpected technical difficulty. Finnish Parliament later released a partial video recording of the hearing (done via Microsoft Teams), which did not include the first 30 minutes.

Gateway theory in Finland: From cannabis decriminalisation to legalising all drugs

In 1942, the American political scientist Quincy Wright published a lengthy book about how to organise the world beyond endless wars. A Study of War cemented Wright’s reputation as an influential liberal thinker of the early 20th century. But Wright would help bring about a new type of endless war in his time. He was one of the first major voices to call for what would later be known as the “war on drugs”. As early as 1924, Wright argued that the use of drugs “for purposes other than medicinal or scientific” is an “evil”. While working as an adviser to the state department, Wright advocated for the US to lead a global assault against drugs.

Almost a century later, the “war on drugs” may need a new leader. Amid the chaos surrounding last November’s US presidential contest, drug policy reform quietly took a quantum leap forward. Voters from across the political spectrum chose to legalise recreational cannabis, opening the door for places such as Arizona and New Jersey to recreate the lucrative cannabis industries already found in California, Colorado and other states.

Policies are also being introduced to try to bring an end to the system of mass incarceration, and to redress the racial and economic inequalities fuelled by the “war on drugs” that became an enduring touchstone of US federal policy after Richard Nixon declared drugs “public enemy number one” in 1971. But the most dramatic change came in Oregon, which legalised cannabis in 2014 and has now become the first US state to decriminalise all drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin.

Enlightened drug reforms are sweeping the US. Why is Britain so far behind?

The collectives – #STOP1921 and SMART on Drugs – want a review of the scope and effectiveness of the 1921 law, “which has not been done since 1998, when a parliamentary working group was set up,” they said. “This work (…) is unavoidable, as this law is so out of step with contemporary society”.

Several arguments in favour of an evolution of the law are put forward. Indeed, for citizens’ movements, the criminalisation and repression of drug use is harmful in terms of public health and crime. “The stronger the repression, the more violence increases,” they said.

Furthermore, “the total lack of quality control of products in circulation is responsible for a substantial part of their dangerousness.” #STOP1921 and SMART on Drugs also cite the police and judicial cost of repression, which in 2015 was close to €175 million.

‘Unhappy Birthday’: Belgian collectives ask review of 100-year-old drug law

How much does the general public actually know about psychoactive substances and how these are used in their own communities? To check it out for themselves, NoBox went to two known universities in the Philippines and asked young university students questions about drugs and the people involved with them.

NoBox Philippines is a non-profit organization committed to harm reduction, working towards changing national drug policy to one that is based on sound evidence and reflective of educated, rational, humane approaches. In the Philippines, drug use is a largely moralized issue, considered as something not only illegal but also evil and unconscionable. This way of thinking is reflected in our country’s drug policies and how society (mal)treats people involved with drugs. Because this popular perception has become normalized at a national level, it is not uncommon to find people largely misinformed around drugs and drug use.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of individuals becoming interested and eager to learn more about psychoactive drugs when given the chance. NoBox went to universities and asked students about specific drugs, how they work, what their effects are, and other questions related to psychoactive drug use and the people who use them.

Shifting narratives of drugs and drug use in the Philippines - KnowBox Series

On February 10 the deputies of the Russian parliament adopted, in the third and final reading, a bill to increase the sentence for “inciting use of drugs” on the Internet to 15 years. Earlier, the deputies adopted a bill on administrative fines of up to 1.5 million rubles ($20,000) for “drug propaganda” on the Internet. The moves follow an order made by President Vladimir Putin, who instructed lawmakers to take additional measures to counter drug trafficking in 2019.

The share of such convicts has continued to grow over the past decade. Moreover, the average sentence for drug-related crimes is also increasing. This creates a huge burden on the country’s budget, leads to overcrowding of places of detention, and deterioration of conditions in them. In addition, this leads to the withdrawal of a large number of able-bodied people from the country’s economy. Finally, and most importantly, people serving sentences for drug trafficking in prisons are most likely to not only not be “reformed and aware of their guilt,” but, on the contrary, are even more stigmatised and more likely to commit a crime later. This raises the question of the need to reform the system of criminal prosecution for crimes related to drug trafficking.

Imprisonment for up to 15 years in Russia for using the word “drug” on the Internet

The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), a global not-for-profit organisation registered in the UK and the Netherlands, with offices in Ghana and Thailand, is seeking to appoint a new member to our Board of Directors, to take up the position by July 2021.

The new Director will join the organisation at an exciting time following the launch of our new Strategic Plan for 2021 to 2023. This is an unpaid, volunteer, non-executive position. The ability to communicate and work in English is 

 (as this is the working language of the Board) as is the ability to participate in discussions and meetings online.

For the current vacancy, the following skills/experience, at a 

 Senior level will be broadly indicated by having worked professionally or at senior management level in business, the public sector or the third sector:

 (especially for international development and/or policy advocacy work). Relevant experience would include either successful fundraising for an international NGO and/or strong experience or contacts with grant-making bodies such as a donor agency or philanthropic foundation.

 for the post holder to also have one or more of the following areas of skill/experience:

Change/project management to support the organisation as IDPC seeks to strengthen operations within the EU via the newly set up foundation in the Netherlands.

Experience of working with international organisations and/or international civil society networks.

Experience and/or demonstrable understanding of policy advocacy work as it relates to drug policy reform and ensuring respect for human rights.

Experience as a member of a management committee or a governing body (for example, as a charity trustee, a company director, or a member of a public sector board); or helping to run a voluntary organisation.

For the current vacancy, IDPC strongly encourages applications from the Global South, and from communities impacted by the 

 Applications are welcome from existing IDPC members and individuals from outside of the network.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate the following:

A commitment to IDPC’s Policy Principles.

Skill or experience in strategic planning, setting targets, and monitoring and evaluating performance.

Good organisational and communication (oral and written) skills in English.

Board meetings are generally held four times a year (every quarter) with meetings taking place via video call. If budget permits, there is usually one face-to-face meeting that takes place in July each year.

The term of appointment for a Director is three years. All Directors are eligible for reappointment for one further three-year term of office.

Applicants must satisfy the criteria as per the statement of eligibility attached.

Interested individuals should send a CV and a short cover letter outlining why they are interested in joining the Board of IDPC, and highlighting their relevant skills and experience for the Board position.

These expressions of interest must be sent to IDPC Team Assistant, Daisy Bowdery (dbowdery@idpc.net) by no later than Friday, 20 April 2021 (23:55 London time).

Call for expressions of interest for new members for IDPC’s Board of Directors

The issue of bail is critically important for Thailand and is especially relevant to the gap between the rich and the poor. It is also emblematic of the chasm between power derived from the coup d'etat and the aspirations of a democratic and just society.

A typical situation is that many accused persons who are poor are not able to afford the sum demanded for bail and land up in jail unjustly and unnecessarily, pending trial. This results in the paradox that it is the poor, not the rich who are in prison. It gives the impression that justice is for the rich and not the poor. It has become all the more sensitive today with the spread of multiple trials facing people who express themselves and or assemble allegedly in breach of national laws.

Prisons in the country are overflowing. The country has the distinction of having the highest number of detainees in Asean (with an estimate of over 300,000 persons incarcerated). ... The country should target more non-custodial measures and a general reform of the criminal justice system, including in regard to excessive incarceration for drug-related offences. Progressively, this would help to ensure "human dignity", a synonym for human rights, as espoused by the Thai constitution.

Thailand's bail system -- is it made for the rich?

Are you passionate about global drug policy and want to support reform? IDPC is looking for a motivated volunteer to contribute to our communications work!

The selected candidate will help us enhance IDPC’s visibility online and provide some research support to our small Secretariat team. Volunteers are also invited to suggest areas of expertise that they would be interested in honing during the volunteering period (ex. design, research, blogging, etc.)

The volunteer's time commitment will be up to them, depending on availability and capacity. That said, we do suggest considering an experience of at least three months to fully familiarise with the work and make space for induction, training, feedback, and progress. For more information about the position, have a look at the full description below.

If you are interested in volunteering with us, please send your CV and 1-2 paragraphs outlining why this experience is of interest to you by 19 March 2021

. Please note that, given the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a very high likelihood that this volunteering experience will take place remotely. Please, do get in touch if you have any questions about this volunteering experience.

IDPC recruits communications volunteer

Oral statement on the anti-drugs campaign in the Philippines

Statement delivered by International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), Harm Reduction International, and NoBox Philippines

This statement is delivered on behalf of the International Drug Policy Consortium, Harm Reduction International, and NoBox Philippines.

The human rights situation related to the anti-drugs campaign in the Philippines continues to deteriorate, and the Human Rights Council must remain engaged.

As we speak, the Philippine Congress is deliberating on the reimposition of the death penalty for dru offences. Extrajudicial killings continue unabated. And last December, the chief prosecutor of the ICC found that there is ‘reasonable basis to believe’ that these killings constitute crimes against humanity.

Beyond extrajudicial killings, the Council must address the human rights violations related to the criminalisation of people who use drugs, forced drug treatment, mass surveillance, denial of lifesaving health interventions, and the ongoing targeting of human rights defenders working on drug policy.

The Council’s decision to provide technical assistance to the Philippines on human rights must translate into drug policies that are evidence- and human rights-based.

We urge the Council and Member States to remain engaged, and to continue to closely consult with civil society. We also call on the Council to actively support the High Commissioner’s work in assessing progress made under the UN Joint Programme, which must include monitoring and critically evaluating the human rights situation on the ground. If no clear and measurable improvement is made soon, an international, impartial, and credible investigation will be necessary.

Oral statement at the 46th session of the Human Rights Council - On the 'anti-drugs' campaign in the Philippines

The Liberal government’s newly proposed criminal justice reform legislation fails to address inequities around addiction treatment and will reinforce harms associated with drug criminalization, drug policy experts and harm reduction advocates say.

On Thursday, the Liberal government tabled Bill C-22 that would, if passed, repeal mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offences and encourage police and prosecutors to pursue alternatives to simple drug possession charges, including diverting people facing charges to addiction treatment programs.

For people caught with small amounts of illicit drugs, the law would give police officers the option to just let the person go, issue a warning, or give them the option to voluntarily be referred to an “agency or other service provider in the community that may assist the individual.” Courts would also be given greater ability to use conditional sentencing—allowing people to serve sentences in the community if they abide by certain requirements—when the case involves someone who is not a violent offender.

While experts are heartened the bill would remove mandatory minimum criminal sentences for certain drug crimes, they say scrapping drug possession offences altogether is what’s urgently needed to help address the worsening overdose crisis and help mitigate the potential for violence during interactions with police.

In Canada liberals' justice reform bill keeps war on drugs alive, policy experts say

On a hillside in northern Colombia, three dozen men in blue overalls toil through a field, destroying coca bushes. They work in pairs: one rams a hoe under the roots of a bush and levers it free; the other grabs the plant by its bright green leaves and wrenches it out of the ground.

The government of Iván Duque hails the eradicators as unsung heroes. And yet, the men in blue overalls are losing their war. Once they have cleared a field, coca growers invariably came back and replant. Or they plant elsewhere. Eradication by hand is also labour-intensive and dangerous — drug traffickers do not take kindly to having their bushes ripped up. Since Duque came to power in mid-2018, armed groups have killed 29 members of eradication teams, mostly soldiers and police officers. More than 200 have been injured, some maimed for life by landmines.

And despite their efforts, Colombia’s coca production has soared. Between 2012 and 2017, it increased by more than 250 per cent to a record 171,000ha, according to the UN, which uses satellites to monitor cultivation. By beefing up the eradication teams, Bogotá has brought that figure down, to 154,000ha in 2019, but even so the country is by far the world’s largest producer of coca leaf and cocaine.

Faced with this bleak reality, the Duque government wants to turn back the clock and resume crop spraying ... But a resumption of crop spraying would be highly controversial. The IARC stands by its 2015 conclusion that glyphosate might cause cancer. ... Other papers have focused on potential damage to the environment and water sources. A study in the Journal of Applied Toxicology in 2014 concluded that glyphosate had “the potential to alter the physiology of aquatic organisms”.

Cocaine: Colombia weighs a new aerial war on drugs

The Norwegian government has released an official communication on this proposal, which can be accessed here under the name 'Help, not punishment for drug use'.

Norway plans to decriminalize the personal use of illegal drugs in small quantities, citing recommendations from the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

The Nordic country will abolish criminal liability “for the use of drugs and the acquisition and possession of a small amount of drugs for own use,” according to legal proposals by the health-care ministry to lawmakers, published on Friday. The acts will be illegal, but not punishable.

“The drug reform is a historic shift in Norwegian drug policy,” Health Minister Bent Hoie said in an emailed statement. “It’s high time we replace punishment with help.”

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