Drug policy debate in the Americas

People deprived of their liberty for drug offenses: The social costs of drug policy

Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:14:35 +0000

The Research Consortium on Drugs and the Law (Colectivo de Estudios Drogas y Derecho, CEDD) released a series of new studies showing that despite the current debate in Latin America on the need to re ...

Chile considers cannabis decriminalization

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 16:39:35 +0000

With its proposed changes to Ley 20.000 (Law 20,000), Chile joins a growing list of Latin American countries decriminalizing marijuana. The initiative, which would grant Chileans the right to possess ...

Drug policy innovations in the Americas

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 09:46:16 +0000

In recent years, the Americas have been at the forefront of calls for a meaningful review of traditional approaches to drug control based on tough law enforcement and incarceration. The region has bo ...

At its XLVI Special Session in Guatemala, the OAS General Assembly adopts resolution on the drugs problem in the Americas

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 11:31:51 +0000

The Organization of American States (OAS) adopted by acclamation a resolution that underscores "the importance of hemispheric and international cooperation to jointly tackling the world drug problem, ...

Latin America’s Anti-drug Policies Feed on the Poor

Tue, 09 Sep 2014 09:57:46 +0000

Poor young men, slumdwellers and single mothers are hurt the most by anti-drug policies in Latin America, according to representatives of governments, social organisations and multilateral bodies mee ...

Latin American leaders bring drug policy debate to the United Nations

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 14:09:14 +0000

At the annual UN General Assembly meeting held in New York, presidents from around the world have the chance to state their views on the key international issues of the day. Not surprisingly, the cri ...

The drug policy reform agenda in the Americas (Version 2)

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:49:11 +0000

At the root of the drug policy debate in Latin America is growing recognition that present policies have failed to achieve the desired objectives, the extremely high costs of implementing those polic ...

Launching the debate

Fri, 11 Oct 2013 10:49:07 +0000

In April 2012, most of the hemisphere’s presidents gathered at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia and held a closed-door meeting where drug policy was the only topic discussed. Followi ...

Study of the Organisation of American States (OAS)

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:54:52 +0000

On May 17, 2013, the Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to share the results of the hemispheric revie ...

The drug policy reform agenda in the Americas

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:36:26 +0000

Latin America has emerged at the vanguard of efforts to promote debate on drug policy reform. For decades, Latin American governments largely followed the drug control policies and programs of Washin ...

Latin American members of the International Drug Policy Consortium call for new approaches to drug control strategies

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:23:10 +0000

In this declaration, organizations based in or working on Latin America and members of the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) claim the democratic and sovereign right of their countries to m ...

A breakthrough in the making?

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:48:28 +0000

There is a growing recognition that current war-like strategies have failed. At the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena in April the Organisation of American States (OAS) was given a mandate to study ...

A breakthrough in the making?

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:31:33 +0000

Remarkable drug policy developments are taking place in Latin America. This is not only at the level of political debate, but is also reflected in actual legislative changes in a number of countries. ...

Latin America debates alternatives to current drug policy

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:01:46 +0000

The debate on alternatives to the war on drugs has seen a tremendous boost in recent months. Disappointed about the meager results of prohibition-led policies and the devastating consequences of the ...

Toward a Paradigm Shift

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:22:54 +0000

Prohibitionist policies based on the eradication of production and on the disruption of drug flows as well as on the criminalization of consumption have not yielded the desired results. We are furthe ...