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Ayahuasca: From the Amazon to the Global Village
An analysis of the challenges associated with the globalisation of ayahuasca
Constanza Sánchez & José Carlos BousoDrug Policy Briefing Nr. 43
December 2015Indigenous peoples in the Amazon have used ayahuasca for centuries as a remedy for physical and psychological health, and to ensure the life and wellbeing of their communities. In the past two decades, the use of this decoction has expanded beyond Amazon indigenous spheres. Globalisation, and with it the contact between populations, 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.
Download the briefing (PDF)Drugs, armed conflict and peace
How does the agreement on drugs between the government and the FARC help to put an end to the armed conflict in Colombia?
Ricardo VargasTNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 42
July 2014This policy briefing analyses the results of the partial agreement on drugs reached at the talks being held in Havana between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, and the Colombian government. The analysis is based on the joint communiqué issued on 16 May 2014, the eve of the first round of the presidential election in Colombia. Following a brief introduction to the drugs issue in the broader framework of the peace talks, the briefing looks at how the subject of illicit crops, drug use and trafficking is dealt with in the agreement. It concludes with an assessment of the progress that the agreement represents in terms of the link between drugs and armed conflict.
READ MORE...Download the briefing (PDF, 611KB)Drugs as war economy and the peace process in Colombia: dilemmas and challenges
Ricardo VargasDrug Policy Briefing Nr. 41
September 2013The fourth item on the agenda of talks “to end the conflict,” on the issue of drugs, seems to reflect rather a flat and simplistic view of the classic circuit of drug production, processing, trafficking and use. The relationship between drugs and armed conflict in Colombia is in fact much more complex. This report analyses the challenges that drug trafficking poses to the development of a sustainable peace.
READ MORE...Download the report (PDF)The illicit drugs market in the Colombian agrarian context
Why the issue of illicit cultivation is highly relevant to the peace process
Amira ArmentaTNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 40
February 2013The distribution of land and its unjust use are the major causes of violence in Colombia. For this reason land issues are the starting point of current peace talks between the Santos government and the FARC guerrillas. Remedying these structural problems at the heart of rural Colombia is the best guarantee of progress of the current peace negotiations that could bring an end to a half-century-old violent conflict.
READ MORE...Download the briefing (PFD)Between Reality and Abstraction
Guiding Principles and developing alternatives for illicit crop producing regions in Peru
Mirella van Dun, Hugo Cabieses Cubas and Pien MetaalTNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 39
January 2013At the International Conference on Alternative Development (ICAD), held 15-16 November 2012 in Lima, the Peruvian Government continued to insist on the relevance of “Alternative Development (AD),” with particular emphasis on the so-called San Martín “miracle” or “model.” The model, started with the support of international cooperation, is proposed by Peru as a paradigm to be followed worldwide by regions and countries that also deal with problems associated with crops grown for illicit purposes.
READ MORE...Download the briefing (PDF)USAID's Alternative Development policy in Colombia
A critical analysis
Ricardo VargasTNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 38
October 2011Alternative Development (AD) must not be part of a militarised security strategy, which is the predominant approach in Colombia. Instead of simply attempting to reduce the area planted with illicit crops, Alternative Development programmes should operate within the framework of a rural and regional development plan.
READ MORE...Download the briefing (PDF)Amphetamine Type Stimulants and Harm Reduction
Experiences from Myanmar, Thailand and Southern China
Tom BlickmanTNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 37
October 2011Little is known about the methamphetamine market in the region, but there are strong indications that the situation is deteriorating with substances becoming stronger, methods of use more harmful and the number of users steadily increasing. There is an urgent need for donors and governments to introduce effective harm reduction measures.
READ MORE...Download the briefing (PDF)Alternative development from the perspective of Colombian farmers
Susana OjedaTNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 36
May 2011Alternative Development programmes have been widely discussed from the point of view of experts, technocrats, politicians and academics, with advocates and detractors debating whether such programmes contribute to decreasing the cultivation of illegal crops. However, little is known about the opinions of the people targeted by these programmes and the implications that they have for their daily lives.
READ MORE...Download the briefing (PDF)On the Frontline of Northeast India
Evaluating a Decade of Harm Reduction in Manipur and Nagaland
TNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 35
March 2011Conflict and underdevelopment in the region have contributed to drug consumption and production, and are hampering access to treatment, care and support for drug users. Obstacles include curfews imposed by the national government, as well as punitive actions by armed opposition groups against drug users, and discrimination and stigmatization from the local population.
READ MORE...Download the paper (PDF)The 'miracle of San Martín' and symptoms of 'alternative development' in Peru
Hugo CabiesesTNI Drug Policy Briefing Nr. 34
December 2010The Peruvian government has presented the “Miracle of San Martin Model” as the path to follow to achieve drug supply reduction. However a closer look reveals that the model is not replicable, not ecologically sustainable, and won't remedy the ‘symptoms of alternative development’.
READ MORE...Download the briefing (PDF)Page 2 of 4
Drugs in the News
- Cannabis cafés and self-growing: Czechia presents draft of new marijuana law
11.01.2024 - Minister signs bill banning recreational use of weed
08.01.2024 - As the mayor of Amsterdam, I can see the Netherlands risks becoming a narco-state
05.01.2024 - Barcelona city council threatens to shut down cannabis social clubs
04.01.2024 - Swiss capital Bern considers legal cocaine project
20.12.2023 - High time: after five years, Dutch start legal cannabis trial
15.12.2023
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