To win the war on drugs, stop brutalising farmers who grow them
Reform of drug policy is essential to protect the rights of cultivating communities, and ensure they make a living from their land
The Guardian (UK)
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Reform of international drug control is urgently needed. The war on drugs has left a trail of suffering and criminality in its wake and has manifestly failed to achieve its objectives. The UN special session of the general assembly (UNGASS) presents an opportunity. Many reformers put drug users at the centre of changes to international drug policies, but the people growing the plants producing the substances they consume are often overlooked. Farmers’ livelihoods and communities are inherently linked to reform of international drug policies. For hundreds of thousands of farmers’ families, existing crop control laws and practices cause conflict and poverty. (See: Contributions of grower representatives at UNGASS)
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