After countless reforms and billions of investment eradicating coca cultivation is still a great challenge for Colombia. Ross Eventon, GDPO Early March, 2017: The United States government and the United Nations announce large increases in the amount of coca being cultivated in Colombia. The head of the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement…Continue Reading Why is coca production on the rise in Colombia?
View from the Ground – Harm reduction, drug policy and the law in the Maghreb: focus on Morocco and Algeria
View from the Ground – Harm reduction, drug policy and the law in the Maghreb: focus on Morocco and Algeria Khalid Tinasti, Geneva Global Drug Policy Observatory, Swansea University October 2016 As WordPress doesn’t allow referencing, full PDF with references available here: khalid_blog-maghreb-drug-policy_final Introduction: The Maghreb countries, part of the Arab Maghreb Union, are Algeria, Libya,…Continue Reading View from the Ground – Harm reduction, drug policy and the law in the Maghreb: focus on Morocco and Algeria
Reagan’s Militarisation of the ‘War on Drugs’
Emily Crick, Bristol, UK Amidst current debates about the inadequacies and damaging ‘unintended consequences’ of policies and programmes that privilege harsh law enforcement and punishment, what has become known as the ‘war on drugs’, it is instructive to reflect upon the history of this long dominant policy approach. Here Emily Crick, PhD student at Bristol…Continue Reading Reagan’s Militarisation of the ‘War on Drugs’
GDPO Involved in Research into Trust in Crypto-drug Markets
The GDPO was recently part of a successful interdisciplinary application to the CHERISH-DE (Challenging Human Environments and Research Impact for a Sustainable and Healthy Digital Economy) Escalator Fund. The pilot project, (Principal Investigator: Prof Nuria Lorenzo-Dus (Arts and Humanities), Co-Investigators: Prof David Bewley-Taylor, (Arts and Humanities), Dr Bob Laramee (Computer Science), Dr Matteo Di Cristofaro (Arts and…Continue Reading GDPO Involved in Research into Trust in Crypto-drug Markets
ICSDP (re)Blog: Scientific Experts Launch Open Letter on Need for New Metrics to Evaluate Drug Policy
Reblog from: http://www.icsdp.org/scientific_experts_launch_open_letter_on_need_for_new_metrics_to_evaluate_drug_policy On January 21, 2016, more than eighty representatives from Member States, UN agencies, and civil society organizations gathered for the launch of a scientific open letter on the path forward for drug policy evaluation. Titled, “Identifying Common Ground for UNGASS 2016: Rethinking Metrics to Evaluate Drug Policy,” the event hosted by the…Continue Reading ICSDP (re)Blog: Scientific Experts Launch Open Letter on Need for New Metrics to Evaluate Drug Policy
An Analysis of the Challenges Associated with the Globalisation of Ayahuasca
New report from ICEERS Foundation and TNI, Ayahuasca: From the Amazon to the Global Village An Analysis of the Challenges Associated with the Globalisation of Ayahuasca By Constanza Sanchez, Barcelona Globalisation has facilitated cultural exchange between indigenous traditions and Western practices, which has led to a growing interest in the ritual, religious and therapeutic use of ayahuasca….Continue Reading An Analysis of the Challenges Associated with the Globalisation of Ayahuasca
View From the Ground: Magical Journalism and the Chemical War
by Ross Eventon Bogota, Colombia After decades of studies demonstrating the inefficiency and the harmful effects, the environmental damage and the health problems, the Colombian government announced in June that it would be stopping aerial fumigation of illicit crops using the herbicide glyphosate. It has been an interesting and somewhat depressing experience to read the…Continue Reading View From the Ground: Magical Journalism and the Chemical War
Is too much discussion on regulation making us forget prohibition?
Reflections on the 9th Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy By Constanza Sánchez Avilés, ICEERS Foundation and GDPO Research Associate From 20 to 22 May, the beautiful city of Ghent hosted the 9th Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP), an excellent opportunity for…Continue Reading Is too much discussion on regulation making us forget prohibition?
View From the Ground: Heading for the Hills; Cannabis in Malana
By Romesh Bhattacharji (GDPO Technical Advisor) Cannabis use in India is thousands of years old. It is traditional, cultural and linked to many indigenous rituals. As such, to believe that modern, and largely externally imposed, laws can prevent its cultivation and use is little more than wishful thinking. Until 1985 Indian law essentially ignored cannabis….Continue Reading View From the Ground: Heading for the Hills; Cannabis in Malana
Ketamine secured for medical and veterinary use!
Originally posted here By Willem Scholten On Friday 13th March, the Commision on Narcotic Drugs discussed the possible bringing of ketamine under international drug control. Initially, China proposed to add the substance under Schedule I of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Such a scheduling means that the substance can be used for medical purposes only…Continue Reading Ketamine secured for medical and veterinary use!