Drugreporter interviewed Jason Eligh, senior analyst of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Oranized Crime, to learn about the health and social impact of cannabis legalization in Canada.

Prior to the Africa Policy Week in Cape Town, South Africa; IDPC, SANPUD and Drugreporter organised Video and Media Advocacy Training in the city.

Drugreporter produced a new documentary, titled “Psychedelics in Scotland” on the struggle to liberate psychedelic medicine in Scotland. In the film, people with lived experience provide testimony on the healing powers of psychedelic drugs. We produced additional films as well at the 3 day long event on cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, as well as other healing plants indigenous to Scotland.

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.

The Andrey Rylkov Foundation urges countries to stop the war on drugs and provide full rehabilitation to the victims! On 26 June, the Andrey Rylkov Foundation joins the global advocacy campaign, Support Don’t Punish Day, to shed light on the devastating consequences of the War on Drugs in Russia and its expansion into Ukraine. Collaborating with Drugreporter, the Foundation releases a short video exposing the atrocities inflicted by punitive drug policies, aiming to raise global awareness and demand urgent change. 

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.   

Are you a drug policy reformer and harm reduction activist in Africa, who wants to make videos for change and learn to communicate with the media better? Would you like to take part at the Africa Drug Policy Week as well? This application is for you then! Apply now to take part in a 5-day Video and Media Training (9-13 August), and then use your newly acquired skills during the additional 3 days of the Africa Drug Policy Week (15-17 August) – all in Cape Town, South Africa.

This is the story of Natasha Kaluzhskaya, a patient in an opioid substitution programme in Mariupol, Ukraine. Mariupol was completely destroyed by the Russian army in 2022. Under the bombs, Natasha rescued people who were using drugs. She managed to survive. And today she stands as a witness to the crimes of war in Ukraine.

After three intense days the Harm Reduction International Conference came to an end today. If you could not make it to Melbourne, don’t worry: as always, the Drugreporter team was there to film. Watch and share! Updated with the opening, closing and press conference videos!

Drugreporter and Harm Reduction International co-organises the HR23 Film Festival next week in Melbourne, sponsored by Elton John AIDS Fund. This is the final programme of the film festival.