With the new EU drug strategy now adopted, key questions remain about its direction and implementation—especially the balance between public health, human rights, and security. We spoke with Anna Dovbakh, Chair of the Civil Society Forum on Drugs, about what the strategy means in practice and the role of civil society moving forward.
Activism
Dismantling Orbán’s System – Drugreporter interviewed by Arild Knutsen
As Hungary heads toward a pivotal election, the camera turns on two of its most prominent drug policy advocates. In this interview conducted by Arild Knutsen, Drugreporter founders Péter Sárosi and István Gábor Takács reflect on decades of activism—and explain why they are now taking their fight to the streets to challenge an increasingly repressive system.
Every step to improve lives is worth fighting for — Martin Jelsma on a 30-year drug policy struggle
The global drug control system is under growing pressure, as countries experiment with regulation and long-standing assumptions are being challenged. Martin Jelsma, who is stepping down from the Transnational Institute this year after decades of work, has been at the forefront of these debates. In this interview, we discuss the WHO’s coca review, inter se treaty reform, and what these shifts mean for the future of global drug policy.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we built” — Ann Fordham on Leaving IDPC After 17 Years
After 15 years at the helm of the International Drug Policy Consortium, Ann Fordham is stepping down as Executive Director. Under her leadership, IDPC has grown into one of the most influential global networks advocating for drug policies grounded in human rights, public health, and social justice. In this interview, we reflect on IDPC’s achievements, ongoing challenges, and what lies ahead.
Beyond the Nordic Paradox: How Harm Reduction Is Transforming Drug Policy in the North
Civil society and drug user activists push harm reduction reforms across the Nordic region – please watch the videos from a side event at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and learn more about drug policy reform in Scandinavia!
Dance Protest Against the Drug War Goes Nationwide in Hungary
On February 28, thousands of people gathered in Budapest and three other Hungarian cities for an unusual form of protest: a peaceful demonstration expressed through electronic music and collective dancing against the increasingly harsh war on drugs.
Avoiding Colonization in the Psychedelic Renaissance – In Dialogue with Charlotte James
Charlotte James is a medicine woman, educator, and founder of the Psychedelic Liberation training. With Afro-Caribbean and Germanic ancestry, her work weaves together ancestral healing, social justice, embodiment, and plant medicine. In our conversation, she speaks about liberation, informed care, the power of ritual, and how to bring accountability and integrity into psychedelic spaces.
Communitas – Psychedelics and the Healing Power of Community – In Conversation with Leor Roseman, PhD
Leor Roseman is a psychedelic researcher whose work explores both the individual and collective dimensions of psychedelic experience — from DMT interruption studies to intergroup healing in the Israeli-Palestinian context. In this interview, we discuss how psychedelics may open space not only for personal transformation, but also for collective reconciliation.
Beyond “Just Say No”
For generations, drug prevention has told young people to “just say no,” while failing to ask what they actually need in order to say yes to life.
Psychedelics Can Provide Spiritual Validation to LGBTQI People – Interview with Jae Sevelius, PhD
Psychedelic therapy can offer spiritual validation and gender euphoria for trans and non-binary people — Jae Sevelius explains what truly affirming psychedelic care means in practice.
