An authoritarian government can scale up access to harm reduction and reform drug laws. But without a free and vibrant democratic society, drug policy reform cannot be truly meaningful and sustainable.
Drug Policy and Law
Drug laws in most countries of the world follow the principle defined by the three international drug conventions (1961, 1971, 1988), that is, they prohibit the non-medical and non-scientific use of some mind altering drugs. This principle is not only outdated but it has become anachronistic: the reality is that millions of people use mind altering substances for recreational purposes and most of them do not experience significant harms from drug use. What is more, many harms people do experience are directly connected to the war on drugs, which created a lucrative black market that only benefits criminal organisations. A drug-free world is an illusion, drug policies should be aimed at reducing the harms of drug use and drug policies instead. We believe that drug use should not be punished and drugs should be regulated as legal products, adjusted to the specific characteristics and risks of those drugs.
“Norway Can Set the Standard for Nordic Countries” – Interview with Ina Spinnangr
Our interview with Ina Roll Spinnangr, the director of the Association for Safer Drug Policies, the NGO that organised the first Nordic Drug Policy Reform Conference last year.
A Year Long Battle for Transparent Policy Making
Amendments of the Law on Psychoactive and Controlled Substances in Serbia. Read about the controversial and not-transparent process of the adoption of the amendments, and the fight of NGOs to be involved.
2017 International Drug Policy Reform Conference: Race & the Drug War
The Drugreporter video team was invited by the Drug Policy Alliance to their conference in Atlanta to produce a film about the latest developments in drug policy in the US and beyond. You can now watch our short summary movie on race and the drug war, as well as recorded key speeches and sessions! […]
Hydra and Heracles: Lessons Not Learned
How the Polish Ministry of Health wants to fight new psychoactive substances. Analogy with the myth of the Hydra and Heracles.
Towards Humane Drug Policies in Asia
A report from a drug policy conference in Macau, where we visited a high-tech methadone clinic, a drop-in centre, and interviewed many brave Asian activists who are working on reducing the harms of drug use and drug laws.
Polish Drug Policy in Numbers
“The numbers show us that the current Polish drug policy is not working,” says Adam Stasiak from the Polish Drug Policy Network.
Are You In Italy And Smoking Marijuana? Find Out What The Legal Risks Are, And What To Do About It
Are you a cannabis user in Italy as a student, on business, or on vacation? Here is a guide we think you should read to avoid problems with the law.
Legalisation and Beyond – An Interview with Ethan Nadelmann
The Drugreporter team interviewed the former director of the Drug Policy Alliance at the drug reform conference in Atlanta. Watch our video to learn about his views on the challenges ahead for the movement!
Drug Policy and the Polish Criminal Justice System
“We just do not have the time for that” – that sentence has echoed in my mind since the last conference. What does it concern? Drug policy. Who doesn’t have time for it? The Polish justice system. Polish Drug Policy Network organised a training which aimed to create a platform between judges, prosecutors, and addiction […]
