During the last few months in Poland, cannabis has been receiving a good deal of attention. This is a result of a few events – both positive and negative – which have placed the issue of cannabis regulation in the mainstream media limelight.
European Drug Policy
The Battle for Harm Reduction Continues in Budapest
The HCLU’s Drugreporter has warned that rates of hepatitis-C infection among injecting drug users in Budapest almost doubled between 2011 and 2014 – in a period when access to harm reduction programs rapidly decreased. Government politicians are still denying the reality, and accuse harm reduction advocates of exaggerating the problem.
Why Was Ibogaine Banned in Hungary?
The Hungarian government banned 42 new psychoactive substances this year – but some of them are not new at all, for example Ibogaine. The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union is suing a government agency for not providing access to the assessment reports on the risks of these drugs.
Dirty Work in Velvet Gloves in Poland – The Organisation vs. the Politicians
The Polish parliament recently pushed through a series of amendments – mostly relating to new psychoactive substances – to the country's law on counteracting drug addiction. Read about the Polish politicians’ total contempt for the opinion of civil society, as well as for evidence-based drug policy.
The Romanian “King of Legal Highs” on Interview
Alin Rotaru, dubbed by the Romanian media, ”The Kings of Legal Highs”, was the owner of what was probably the first physical “ethnobotanical shop” in Romania, which opened in early 2008 in the eastern city of Galați. Read Drugreporter’s guest author Ștefan Iancu’s interview with him.
Is the European Medical Cannabis Movement Gaining in Power?
Researchers and medical cannabis patients met at the Prague Medical Cannabis Conference to discuss the latest developments in the field. On the sidelines, Drugreporter's guest author Iga Jeziorska interviewed two activists who were involved with the recent founding of the International Medical Cannabis Patients' Coalition.
Make-or-break year in HIV prevention in Bulgaria: The “Goodwill” campaign
A joint campaign by Bulgarian NGOs is warning that by the end of 2015, Bulgaria will completely lose its HIV prevention services. Read what needs to be done to keep rates of infection low in this Balkan country.
Second Needle and Syringe Program Shut Down in Budapest
It is a dark time for harm reduction in Hungary: another life-saving service has fallen victim to political paranoia.
A Good Patient
What it's like to be a Serbian HIV-positive mother in treatment. Read the story by our guest author from Belgrade.
Drugreporter Annual Report 2014
Films about drug policy reform from New Zealand to Europe, video advocacy trainings, conferences, reports and campaigns about harm reduction, consultation with decision makers at the national and European level – the Drugreporter Team had a very active year in 2014. Please read & download our colorful 2014 Annual Report and learn more!
