Last August, the city of Zürich launched a pilot program that enables its citizens to legally purchase cannabis. We interviewed Dominique Schori from the Drug Information Center about the developments so far.
European Drug Policy
Critical Partners: The Role of Civil Society in Drug Policies in Four EU Countries
This report gives an insight into how governments involve civil society in drug policy decision-making in four European countries.
Drug Consumption Rooms Are Coming to Slovenia – An Interview with Katja Krajnc
After decades of advocacy by civil society, the government finally approved the opening of the first drug consumption room in Slovenia. On this occasion we interviewed Katja Krajnc from the NGO Stigma, a leading harm reduction organisation in the country.
Making the UN More NGO-friendly: An Interview with Jamie Bridge
Jamie Bridge is a Bedford-based harm reduction professional and the Chief Operating Officer at the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC). We interviewed him on the occasion of the end of his term as the chair of the Vienna NGO Committee – an organisation that links NGOs and the Vienna-based agencies involved in setting drug policy.
Homage to Catalonia: Cannabis Social Clubs
“The essence of the cannabis social club model is sharing,” explained a cannabis activist to a group of international professionals, who came to Barcelona to study the pioneering cannabis policies of Catalonia.
The Italian Anti-Rave Law Violates Human Rights – Interview with Susanna Ronconi
A new law, that came into effect in December, criminalised “illegal rave parties” in Italy. We interviewed Susanna Ronconi from Forum Droghe, an organisation that opposes the law on human rights and public health grounds.
How Will Czechia Legalise Cannabis?
The Czech Republic is the first country in Central-Eastern Europe that announced to make the non-medical use of cannabis legal. In this episode of Drugreporter Café, we present an interview with Jindrich Voboril, the National Drug Coordinator, who explained us how they will regulate the legal market.
The Hypocrisy of Shaming the Finnish Prime Minister
There has been a media outcry about a leaked video in which the Finnish Prime Minister is partying with her friends. She is now accused of using cocaine. This whole scandal is a textbook example of what’s wrong with our attitudes to young people and drugs.
Civil Society Demands Balanced EU Funding for Drug Policies
Civil society organisations sent an open letter to the EU Commission to criticise the new call for drug policy grant proposals that almost only focuses on law enforcement and excludes harm reduction.
Alternatives to Criminal Sanctions for Drug Offenders in Hungary: A Short Overview
This brief overview of the Hungarian system of diversion from the criminal justice system (elterelés) was prepared and submitted to contribute to the assessment of the European Commission on alternatives to criminal sanctions for drug offenders in Europe (PDF).
