La sugerencia de Trump de que un muro fronterizo frenará la entrada de drogas no se sostiene. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

The partial government shutdown is now in its 21st day, with efforts to reopen stymied by Democrats' and Republicans' disagreement over whether to allot $5.7 billion to the construction of physical barriers at the United States–Mexico border. Among President Donald Trump's explanations for a wall: It will slow the flow of drugs into the U.S. and prevent some of the tens of thousands of overdose deaths the country suffers every year.

But is a wall really an effective defense against the drug trade?

Reporting from Pacific Standard and other organizations suggests no. As Trump correctly suggests, Mexico is the immediate previous stop for most of the illicit drugs that enter America. But traffickers don't tend to send their products over the border along the places where Trump would build a wall, as Pacific Standard's Jack Herrera previously reported.

Cómo llegan las drogas a los Estados Unidos desde México

Los países que deseen enmendar los compromisos contraídos en virtud de los tratados de drogas de la ONU tienen a su disposición unos recursos jurídicos poco explorados. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

By Patricia Chulver Benitez | Acción Semilla Foundation

2018 was a year with significant advances in the regulation of some controlled substances at the international level of drug policy and it is necessary to analyze the trends to understand the steps that Bolivia must take if it wishes to advance with its regulatory policy with a view to the international claim of the coca leaf and the possibilities of export.

As a first success we can mention Uruguay with its Law No. 19172 which regulates the production, distribution and sale of cannabis and whose effectiveness is measured in terms of the rights of people who use drugs by providing an effective health response from public health. It is followed by Canada, the first G7 country to legalize the recreational use of the same plant, and Mexico, which recently presented its proposal for a General Law for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis.

These countries (along with others for 2020 initiatives such as New Zealand) hope to reach trade agreements between parties as the international context allows for new legal alternatives that do not break with the conventions and do not depend on consensus in the larger drug policy decision scenarios. The first alternative is the “Inter Se” treaties and the second is based on requesting a critical review from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Bolivia, la hoja de coca y los nuevos horizontes de plantas prohibidas en los mercados internacionales

La red UHRN condena una ola de arrestos violentos contra personas que usan drogas. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

Uganda Harm Reduction Network calls for a quick intervention in the human rights violations against people who use drugs and other psychotropic substances.

This follows the brutal arrest humiliation and detention of 17 drug users including foreign signatories by police on allegations of using drugs in different bars on 5th/01/2019 in Kabalagala Suburbs of Kampala. UHRN works to advocate for practical interventions aimed at supporting and addressing issues of human rights violations among people who use drugs.

We are deeply concerned by the deteriorating circumstances in which punitive enforcement of laws including; inhuman treatment and torture of drug users undermines their public health While there are no express provisions in the constitution protecting drug users` rights, there are basic protections that are enshrined in the constitution and in the laws of Uganda which protect the rights of all persons.

For instance; The right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment: the constitution in Article 24 requires respect for human dignity and provides that no person shall be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. This provision finds particular application in the context of arrests of drug users

Article 20 (1) of the convention on Psychotropic Substance of 1971 requires all state parties to take all practical measures for the prevention of abuse and psychotropic substances and for the early identification, treatment and education after care rehabilitation and social reintegration of all persons who use drugs.

The Uganda Harm Reduction Network is concerned that the criminalization and increased brutal arrests and degrading treatment of drug users will continue to push people who use drugs into the shadows since the government has positioned drug use as a criminal justice issue rather than a health issue.

We call for: Respect of the rights of people who use drugs; A human rights and public health approach in dealing with drug use; and Adoption of harm reduction interventions for people who use drugs

Uganda: la red UHRN condena las violaciones de los derechos humanos cometidas contra las personas que usan drogas

Un plan de reducción de daños liderado por pares y respaldado por Dancewize persigue asegurar que los estudiantes y los asistentes a festivales puedan obtener equipos gratuitos para analizar píldoras. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

State and territory leaders will face a national campaign calling for pill-testing led by young people, the group that might argue it has the most to lose from governments baulking at the idea.

A day after the New South Wales coroner announced it would investigate five recent deaths at music festivals, Students for Sensible Drug Policy Australia will launch the Be Heard Not Harmed campaign at Melbourne’s Revolver nightclub.

“Young people are going to be the ones to make this change happen,” said Nick Kent, the national director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. “We’re going around in circles with this debate and it’s remarkable to hear people talking about it whilst excluding those who are most affected.”

Estudiantes australianos lanzan una campaña nacional para presionar a los parlamentarios y que estos autoricen el análisis de píldoras

El proyecto de ley sirve como un “mecanismo de transición” que contempla la defensa jurídica de los pacientes que están cerca de la muerte. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

The Government has passed its medicinal cannabis bill, which will establish a regulated scheme within a year and give those close to death a legal defence before then.

After a long road to third reading the bill passed on Tuesday afternoon with the support of Labour, the Greens, and NZ First.

Both the Greens and NZ First won some concessions to the bill, which has been criticised by medicinal marijuana advocates for not going far enough - and by National as "decriminalisation by stealth".

Nueva Zelanda: se aprueba la ley de cannabis medicinal, que prevé un mercado regulado dentro de un año y una defensa jurídica hasta entonces

Las autoridades malasias se han comprometido a revisar el tratamiento del uso y la dependencia de drogas desde una perspectiva de la salud pública. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo.

The Malaysian Law Minister, Liew Vui Keong, has urged the government to review the country's Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 to ensure that law enforcement efforts focus on drug supply, rather than punishing people with addiction.

An unofficial translation of the press release published today, on 17 January, follows:

At a meeting of the Cabinet Committee to Combat Drugs, chaired by the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister, Dato 'Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Binti Dr. Wan Ismail, and held this morning in Putrajaya, discussions took place on matters raised during a previous meeting of the Committee.



The meeting was attended by the Honourable Minister of Interior, Tan Sri Dato' Haji Muhyiddin Yassin; the Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman; the Honourable Minister of Law, Datuk Liew Vui Keong; the Minister of National Unity and Social Wellbeing, National Integrity, Waythamoorthy Ponnusamy; and the National Anti-Drugs Agency and Royal Malaysian Police.



The Law Minister, Datuk Liew Vui Keong, expressed the view that drug use needs to be understood as a health issue and managed by the health sector, rather than the criminal justice system.



He said drug use and addiction were the result of complex biological and social factors, such as genetic predispositions, psychological factors and environmental influences. And, thus, that law enforcement should focus on drug trafficking instead of punishing people who use drugs.



He further added that the dominance of law enforcement on matters of illicit drug use was not only ineffective, but has created adverse health consequences for those affected and led to huge government spending.



This is evident when people who live with addiction are discharged from compulsory drug rehabilitation centres, only to relapse due to a lack of continued support and encouragement to help them fight this illness.



Thus, the Minister said, some sections of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 should be reviewed to amend the current punitive approach.







Datuk Liew Vui Keong



Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law)



Putrajaya

17 January 2019

Noticias

Cómo llegan las drogas a los Estados Unidos desde México

Bolivia, la hoja de coca y los nuevos horizontes de plantas prohibidas en los mercados internacionales

Uganda: la red UHRN condena las violaciones de los derechos humanos cometidas contra las personas que usan drogas

Estudiantes australianos lanzan una campaña nacional para presionar a los parlamentarios y que estos autoricen el análisis de píldoras

Nueva Zelanda: se aprueba la ley de cannabis medicinal, que prevé un mercado regulado dentro de un año y una defensa jurídica hasta entonces

“La aplicación de la ley debe centrarse en el contrabando de drogas, no en castigar a las personas que usan drogas”, ministro de Justicia de Malasia