With cannabis regulation movements on its territory, the US faces a predicament; a treaty breach it does not wish to admit within a system it wishes to protect.

This report describes the history of international control and how cannabis was included in the current UN drug control system.

Drug policy reform experts have called on the INCB and related UN institutions to urgently open up a constructive dialogue on international drug policy reform.

The INCB and UNODC statements on Uruguay cannabis legalisation were ill-prepared, politicised and undiplomatic, what is surprising due the fact that they were aware of Uruguay’s plan in advance.

This briefing explains the background to the opening of the drug policy debate in Latin America, summarises the most relevant aspects of the ongoing drug law reforms in some countries, and makes a series of recommendations that could help to move the debate forward in a productive manner.

This briefing paper outlines the international legal drug control obligations, the room for manoeuvre the regime leaves open to national policy makers and the clear limits of latitude that cannot be crossed without violating the treaties.

This briefing paper analyses the reasons behind the proposed amendment and the opposing arguments that have been brought forward, and outlines the various options to be considered as the fate of Bolivia’s proposal is determined. Simply rejecting the amendment will not make the issue disappear.

This paper describes how the foundations of the global drug control system were established, the radicalisation of the system toward more reprressive implementation, consequently leading to soft defections and de-escalation efforts becoming more widespread. The last section projects a future for…

Afghanistan remains the world’s largest producer of opium and has an under-reported but growing heroin-use problem. Current drug control policies in Afghanistan lack focus and are unrealistic, driven by headlines rather than evidence. They reflect a need for immediate signs of hope rather than a…