Roland Griffiths, a leading scientist studying psychedelics, passed away on October 16. The following article is as much a eulogy, praising his achievements, as a personal note about my own spiritual journey.
Investing in People, Not Jails: Drug Policy Reform in Scotland
Scotland is a textbook case of how the toxic combination of growing social exclusion and poverty, the diversification of drug markets, and repressive, abstinence-only drug policies can lead to a deadly drug overdose epidemic. A new paper published by the Scottish government gives us hope that the country can now set an example to other states on how to give a compassionate and pragmatic response to the crisis.
Mexico: The Long and Difficult Road to Cannabis Legalisation
Mexico is on the road to cannabis legalisation, but it seems this particular road is long and full of traps and barriers. We interviewed Zara Snapp, an activist and co-founder of Institutio RIA, a leading drug policy reform organisation in Mexico.
An Activist in Parliament: An Interview with Nanna W. Gotfredsen
Drugreporter interviewed Nanna W. Gotfredsen, a street lawyer, activist, and member of the Danish Parliament about the chances of drug policy reform in Denmark at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March.
Police Demolished “Illegal” Drug Consumption Room in Helsinki
In order to raise public awareness of effective overdose-death prevention methods, activists set up an unofficial drug consumption room in the middle of Helsinki.
A World Tired of Drug Prohibition: Impressions at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs
The Drugreporter team attended this year’s 66th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the largest annual global meeting on drug policies. This is a preliminary written report with some personal impressions – the videos are coming soon. The article has French and Russian translation!
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.
Fixpunkt Berlin: Supporting People Who Use Drugs in Berlin
A harm reduction organisation is on the frontline of helping those marginalised people who use cocaine and heroin on the streets – Read our report from Berlin and watch our short film about the drug consumption van by Fixpunkt!
Stop Blaming Cocaine Users for the Harms of Bad Drug Policies
The EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson accused cocaine users of being responsible for the death of an 11 year old girl who was caught in a shooting by drug traffickers. But the real culprit is the current drug control system that maximises harm by sweeping cocaine under the rug.
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.