Branwen Lloyd* The 2020 United States presidential election—with early voting underway and Election Day on November 3—is already like no other in history. In a pivotal year the presidential campaign has been repeatedly shaken by seismic events: a devastating pandemic, George Floyd’s killing by police officers, and subsequent protests, President Donald Trump contracting COVID-19, and…Continue Reading Trump v Biden. Their stances on Drug Policy: ‘How it started. How it’s going.’
Yes, legalizing marijuana breaks treaties. We can deal with that.
By John Walsh, Tom Blickman, Martin Jelsma and Dave Bewley-Taylor This Op-Ed was originally published in iPolitics on December 11th, 2017 Buzzing in the background of Canada’s debate on cannabis legalization is the issue of the three UN drug control treaties, and what to do with them. The issue arose during the House of Commons’…Continue Reading Yes, legalizing marijuana breaks treaties. We can deal with that.
British System, American Century: A short case study
British System, American Century: A short case study Chris Hallam This blog shows the intimate ties between the international and domestic domains of drug control. This is a well-known phenomenon; however, it involves considerable complexity. The lengths to which governments will go to reduce potential tension at the international level are apparent. This is especially…Continue Reading British System, American Century: A short case study
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
View From the Ground: Bocas del Toro; Drugs in Paradise
By Alastair Smith, Panama Following exploratory fieldwork in the rural coca growing fields of Colombia, GDPO followed the cocaine supply chain to Panama. Most recently, time spent on the Northern Caribbean coast soon revealed the permeation of drug trafficking into the already complex socioeconomic context that many perceive as paradise. First impressions of Bocas del…Continue Reading View From the Ground: Bocas del Toro; Drugs in Paradise
Has the US just called for unilateral interpretation of multilateral obligations?
by Rick Lines And Damon Barrett [Dr Rick Lines and Damon Barrett are the Chair and Director of the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy, University of Essex] This post was originally published here These are interesting times for drug law reform, which, as it gathers pace, is asking important questions of international law. A UN General Assembly Special Session…Continue Reading Has the US just called for unilateral interpretation of multilateral obligations?
Fatal attraction: Brownfield’s flexibility doctrine and global drug policy reform
This post was first published here at the Huffington Post A joint contribution by: Professor Dave Bewley-Taylor Director, Global Drug Policy Observatory, Swansea University Martin Jelsma Coordinator, Transnational Institute Drugs and Democracy Programme Damon Barrett Director, International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy ___________________________________ State-level cannabis reforms, which gathered steam this month, have exposed the…Continue Reading Fatal attraction: Brownfield’s flexibility doctrine and global drug policy reform
Time for UN to open up dialogue on drug policy reform and end counter-productive blame-game
As the UN International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) launched its annual report on Tuesday, 4 March, amidst an unprecedented crisis in the international drug control regime, leading drug policy reform experts have called on the INCB and related UN institutions to urgently open up a constructive dialogue on international drug policy reform. Approval of legally…Continue Reading Time for UN to open up dialogue on drug policy reform and end counter-productive blame-game
RAND Europe Report on ‘Multinational overview of cannabis production regimes’
In July 2013 the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) of the Netherlands Ministry of Security and Justice asked RAND Europe to provide a multinational overview of cannabis production regimes. The result of this research was a report that summarises differing cannabis production regimes across the world. It also analyses official statements and/or legal decisions made…Continue Reading RAND Europe Report on ‘Multinational overview of cannabis production regimes’
Uruguay Votes to Become the First Nation to Legally Regulate Cannabis
“The traditional [interdiction] approach hasn’t worked. Someone has to be the first [to try this].” President José Mujica of Uruguay, June 2013 On Tuesday 10th December Uruguay made history by voting to establish a legally regulated system for production and supply of cannabis for recreational purposes. In November 2012, two US States – Washington and…Continue Reading Uruguay Votes to Become the First Nation to Legally Regulate Cannabis