Una de las más graves falencias del dictamen aprobado es que mantiene la apuesta por el sistema de justicia penal como una herramienta regulatoria. ¿Son necesarios estos delitos para controlar al mercado? ¿Son imprescindibles tantos requisitos para el consumo? La respuesta es no, pues no sólo son desproporcionados, sino que carecen de sentido en un sistema en el que el cannabis es legal y que busca la justicia social. La permanencia de estos delitos y los requisitos para el consumo, evidencian que lo que se busca es la protección de los intereses económicos de aquellas personas o empresas que tienen la suficiente capacidad económica para ingresar al mercado legal del cannabis. Es claro que lo que aprobó el Senado resultó en un peor escenario al que vivimos actualmente, sin regulación.

La presentación del Plan Nacional de Desarrollo (PND) por el presidente de México, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, puso sobre la mesa otra vez el tema de la despenalización de las drogas, mientras el país lucha para contener la creciente violencia del crimen organizado. El gobierno federal mexicano ha emprendido un “cambio de paradigma” en la seguridad nacional y pública, debido a la “insostenible” estrategia prohibicionista y sus “resultados catastróficos”. “La única posibilidad real de reducir los niveles de consumo de drogas reside en levantar la prohibición de [aquellas] que son actualmente ilegales y en la reorientación de los recursos destinados a combatir el narcotráfico, con objeto de aplicarlos en programas—masivos pero personalizados—de rehabilitación y desintoxicación”.

Oakland has become the second city in the US to decriminalize magic mushrooms and other psychedelics, with a policy that activists hope will spark a national legalization movement. The measure comes after voters in Denver approved a similar ballot initiative to decriminalize psilocybin, which supporters say can help treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions. The Oakland measuredecriminalizes adult use of psychoactive plants and fungi, including mushrooms, cacti, iboga and ayahuasca. Decriminalization means the city is effectively directing law enforcement not to investigate or prosecute people for the use, sale or distribution of these plants and fungi. The resolution cited research linking psychedelics and natural hallucinogens to a range of mental health benefits.

Minister of Justice Sam Tanson of Luxembourg defended the government's decision to regulate recreational cannabis consumption, pointing out that this was already included in the governing coalition's programme before the last national elections in 2018. The initial plan of the coalition between the Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), and the Green Party (déi Gréng) was to legalise cannabis. However, Tanson explained that because the government does not want to allow cannabis consumption in public spaces, they now prefer to talk about "regulation" rather than "legalisation." Tanson stressed that the long-term goal of the government remains the creation of state-approved selling points for cannabis. 

After New Zealand’s referendum to legalise cannabis failed, social service agencies are seeking a new path to decriminalisation of drug use, but obstacles are plenty. A coalition of social service, advocacy and health organisations released an open letter calling on prime minister Jacinda Ardern to repeal and replace the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 “to ensure drug use is treated as a health and social issue”. Signatories include the New Zealand Medical Association, Public Health Association, Auckland and Wellington City Missions, Mental Health Foundation, and the Māori Law Society, along with 20 others. “Our laws prevent people accessing help when they need it, and they leave thousands every year with a conviction that impacts livelihoods, mental health, relationships, travel, housing and education,” the letter says.

This time, at least 175 people died. The victims include a soccer goalie who had just celebrated his 26th birthday, a cheerful young volunteer at an overdose prevention site, and a college graduate who aspired to become an addictions worker to help others through their struggles. June’s illicit drug overdose death toll set yet another B.C. record, surpassing May’s tally by four. “Extreme” fentanyl concentrations were detected in 15 per cent of deaths from April to June, compared with 8 per cent from January, 2019, to March, 2020, according to data released by the BC Coroners Service. At least 5,731 people have died since 2016, the year British Columbia declared a public-health emergency because of overdose deaths.

The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, which aims to cater for those who use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, has been met with fierce opposition in Parliament. The cannabis plant in South Africa was decriminalised by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) in September 2018 and gave Parliament 24 months to amend the relevant laws. Almost five years later, Parliament is now looking to finalise the bill, which was tabled in 2020. Although it is not a criminal offence for an adult citizen to use, possess or grow cannabis for personal consumption at home, the buying and selling of marijuana remains illegal. The public was invited to provide comments on the proposed amendments to the bill.

Former Australian Federal Police boss Mick Palmer has said the prohibition of cannabis use “is not just failing, it is causing real harm” as he described his journey from a hard-nosed policeman to a vocal advocate for cannabis law reform. He said the widespread use of cannabis indicated fear of arrest was not working as a deterrent. In 2019, 37 per cent of Australians said they had used cannabis at least once. However, for those unfortunate enough to be arrested for use and possession of cannabis, Palmer said, the outcome could be a “severe, whole-of-life” punishment, with convictions having the ability to wreck people’s careers. (See also: A new leaf? Push for Victoria to lead the way on cannabis legalisation)

In what is effectively de facto drug decriminalisation, people caught in possession of personal amounts of controlled substances in a number of police areas are being directed towards treatment and education services through “diversion schemes”, rather than facing prosecution. The radical policies, often spearheaded by elected police and crime commissioners (PCCs), come amid a growing realisation that reoffending and drug-related harm can be reduced by adopting a public health approach and inviting people to address their own substance use. Just over 1,000 people in England and Wales were imprisoned in 2017 for possessing drugs, with around 22,000 others handed down non-custodial sentences.

Une large majorité des quelque 250.000 personnes qui ont participé à une consultation citoyenne sur le cannabis dit "récréatif" plébiscitent la légalisation de cette drogue dont l'usage est interdit en France, a-t-on appris de sources parlementaires. Quelque 80,8% des répondants se disent d'accord avec une autorisation de la consommation et de la production dans un cadre régi par la loi, selon les résultats de cette consultation lancée mi-janvier par une mission d'information parlementaire. 13,8% se déclarent favorables à une dépénalisation. A l'inverse, 4,6% sont pour un renforcement des sanctions et seulement 0,8% pour le maintien du cadre légal en vigueur. (Lire aussi: Interrogés lors d’une consultation citoyenne, les Français se disent partisans d’une légalisation du cannabis récréatif)

Cuando un joven empieza a salir de noche, todavía siendo menor de edad, le puede resultar más sencillo llamar a un camello y comprar una pastilla de éxtasis que entrar a un supermercado e intentar que le vendan una botella de ron. Imaginen qué acabarán eligiendo muchos. El ejemplo demuestra que cuando algo es ilegal no significa que esté más o mejor controlado. Tal vez al contrario: hay una serie de requisitos sobre su calidad, su pureza y su acceso que quedan en manos de criminales en lugar de las autoridades. ¿Ha sido efectivo prohibir las drogas? Los resultados de la prohibición de las drogas están a la vista de todos y sus efectos se extienden por todo el mundo. El resumen es que ha sido un auténtico desastre.

The issue of ganja played very prominently in Jamaica in 2015 with some advocates trumpeting the dawn of a “new green golden kingdom”, while some opponents predicting the doom of our youths to the “green demon”. However, a sober analysis of the situation will reveal that even though there were indeed some victories in relation to how we treat with ganja in Jamaica, there is still a lot more to achieve and pitfalls to be mindful of in relation to our policy on establishing a fully legally regulated ganja industry.

At least 500 pro-legalization protesters gathered in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Wednesday for 420, the annual April 20 celebration marked by cannabis consumers around the world, to urge the government to move forward with its plans to decriminalize the drug. "We will introduce the controlled distribution of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes in licensed stores," the government promised. But five months on and there has been no word or timetable about when legal stores might be opened, and pro-cannabis activists are getting impatient at what they consider unnecessary foot-dragging. After all, the Green Party, now a part of the government coalition, has already presented a draft law to the Bundestag in the last few years and seen it defeated.

With more than half of people in the UK in favour of legalising the recreational use of cannabis, and countries around the world adopting more liberal stances to cannabis legislation, it seems inevitable that the fierce debate over cannabis regulation will resurface. The main question still stands – will cannabis be legalised in the UK? The legalisation and regulation of cannabis in the UK has multiple benefits that could help revive our lagging economy including job creation, tax revenue and savings in public services. These benefits have stimulated the conversation surrounding the legalisation of cannabis and caught the attention of government officials looking to cushion the inevitable realities of a recession as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

At the recently concluded 6th Latin American and 1st Caribbean Conference on Drug Policy, held in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, I started a discussion on the cannabis situation in Jamaica with a statement that “A lot has happened and a lot has not happened”, and this is the very same way I wish to start the engagement in this blog. Jamaica has in the last two (2) years has been thrust into the midst of the international discourse on drug policy reform, with specific emphasis on Cannabis reform.

Marijuana may be an issue of easy agreement in the ongoing coalition talks between Germany's leading parties. Despite numerous points of contention, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens can find themselves aligned when it comes to cannabis legalization. The FDP emphasizes the revenue that the state could earn from taxing prerolled joints, cannabis flower and edibles. The Greens say legalization would put an end to illegal sales and reduce organized crime. Social Democrat health expert Karl Lauterbach urged the next government to legalize cannabis. Here is a look at countries that have already loosened their policies.

The passing of the Misuse of Drugs Amendment marks a significant shift in how the Government deals with the possession and use of controlled substances, especially for those caught in the web of addiction.The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act has four core parts: the Class A reclassification of the two most prevalent chemicals found in synthetics, the ability to temporarily reclassify emerging chemicals, increased penalties for manufacturers and suppliers, and enshrining police discretion over prosecution, and prioritising therapeutic options when dealing with possession and personal use of controlled drugs.Legislating police discretion is a remarkable move towards treating drug addiction as a health issue – something that’s been championed by the Greens and Labour.

La aventura empresarial de Jerry Martin ha durado apenas 24 horas, pero espera que su gesto tenga impacto en las leyes de su país. Martin, de 51 años de edad, abrió el miércoles una tienda móvil de drogas duras en el Downtown Eastside, un barrio de Vancouver afectado sobremanera por la ola de sobredosis en Canadá. El jueves, la policía de esta ciudad de la provincia de Columbia Británica anunció su arresto. El establecimiento ofrecía a sus clientes heroína, cocaína, metanfetamina y MDMA. El Ministerio de Salud de Canadá puso en marcha el 31 de enero un proyecto piloto –de tres años de duración- que despenaliza la posesión de varias drogas duras en Columbia Británica, primera iniciativa de este tipo en el país.

The Australian Capital Territory has become the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalise illicit drugs in small quantities. Laws passed in the territory’s parliament mean people found with small amounts of nine different types of illicit drugs will not be criminally prosecuted. Instead they will be cautioned, fined or referred to a drug diversion program. The substances decriminalised include heroin, cocaine and speed. The ACT health minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith, said focusing on harm-minimisation rather than punishing drug users was the way forward. “The ACT has led the nation with a progressive approach to reducing the harm caused by illicit drugs with a focus on diversion, access to treatment and rehabilitation and reducing the stigma attached to drug use,” she said

The ACT is set to become the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalise small amounts of commonly used illicit drugs, such as ice, heroin, cocaine and speed. Under a proposed law that the government has now endorsed, police would continue to target dealers and try to disrupt Canberra's drug trade. However, people found with amounts considered to be "personal possession" — smaller than trafficable quantities — would be subject to fines rather than criminal charges. The decision follows the recommendations of a Legislative Assembly inquiry into the proposal, which was tabled by Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson last year.