The prohibitionist approach imposed on cannabis by the international drug control system still persists in nearly all of the Latin American and Caribbean countries examined. In almost all of them, possession falls under criminal law. Some countries’ legislation establishes thresholds below which cannabis possession should not be considered a crime. Only in Uruguay does the law include regulation of the entire chain.

Although cannabis organizations and other groups have managed to place the issue on the agenda, in most countries reforms are still pending or have been inadequate. The inclusion of relatives and users of cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic purposes has helped give impetus to the movement and to raise awareness among both political stakeholders and the public.

Many of the reforms under way do not recognize the need to regulate the recreational and cultural use of cannabis and run the risk of perpetuating the current consequences, with the persistent impact on health, security, institutionality and human rights that the prohibition of cannabis and the lack of state regulation allow and encourage.

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean should prepare for future reform scenarios, instead of considering temporary measures that will perpetuate the same harmful consequences. Limiting reform solely to medicinal cannabis is only a partial, inadequate and temporary solution. If change is truly sought, it is necessary to move toward models of state regulation of cannabis for all purposes.

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Cannabis in Latin America and the Caribbean: From punishment to regulation

Since its establishment in the 1970s, TNI has always believed in the need to find global answers to global problems, been a strong defender of multilateralism and an advocate of a well-functioning United Nations which stands as the guarantor of universal human rights. On the drugs question, our position is straightforward: drug control should respect human rights.

We defend the rights of farmers caught in the illicit economy to live a life in dignity.

We favour the decriminalisation of use, possession for personal use and minor trafficking offences. We defend harm-reduction approaches and advocate differentiation among substances on the basis of health concerns.

We also defend the principle of proportionality: a basic principle that should be obvious to all but got lost in the process of the escalation of the war on drugs: everyone involved in the illicit drugs market, farmers, traders and users alike, are fully protected by human rights.

Any drug control measure that violates their basic human rights is illegitimate and TNI will always reject measures that violate the right to live a life in dignity.

Click here to read the full publication.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

Human rights and drug policy

Further to Human Rights Council Resolution 30/l.16 on human rights in the administration of justice, adopted in September 2015, we welcome the opportunity to provide the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with relevant information as a contribution to the report on the non-discrimination and vulnerable groups, in particular in detention, and with regard to the causes and effects of overincarceration and overcrowding.

This submission, made by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) and the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), will address the human rights implications of incarceration on women – an issue that was raised in the 2015 OHCHR Study on the impact of the world drug problem on the enjoyment of human rights.

The information provided in this brief is based on the activities of the Working Group on Women, Drug Policy and Incarceration, which advocates for drug policy reform in the Americas.

Human Rights in the administration of justice – non-discrimination and vulnerable groups – causes and effects of overincarceration and overcrowding

Learn more about our joint work with the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD)

The 2nd Brandenburg Forum on Drugs and Development Policies took place from February 6th to 8 th February 2017 at the Hotel Schloss Lübbenau in Germany. The Forum was organised within the framework of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD) – a programme aiming to enhance evidence-based development and public health-oriented approaches to drug policy.1 GPDPD is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented under political patronage of the German Federal Government’s Drug Commissioner. The meeting was co-hosted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of BMZ, the Drug Commissioner of the Federal Government of Germany, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) and the Transnational Institute (TNI).

2nd Brandenburg Forum on Drugs and Development Policies: "Scenarios and proposals for a roadmap towards 2019"

Since the inauguration of President Rodrigo Duterte on June 30, 2016, and his call for a “war on drugs,” Philippine National Police officers and unidentified “vigilantes” have killed over 7,000 people. The anti-drug campaign dubbed “Operation Double Barrel” has targeted suspected drug dealers and users ostensibly for arrest but in practice has been a campaign of extrajudicial execution in impoverished areas of Manila and other urban areas. Duterte’s outspoken endorsement of the campaign implicates him and other senior officials in possible incitement to violence, instigation of murder, and in command responsibility for crimes against humanity.

This report examines 24 incidents, resulting in 32 deaths, involving Philippine National Police personnel between October 2016 and January 2017. Human Rights Watch found that the official police reports of these incidents invariably asserted self-defense to justify police killings, contrary to eyewitness accounts that portray the killings as cold-blooded murders of unarmed drug suspects in custody. To bolster their claims, the police routinely planted guns, spent ammunition, and drug packets next to the victims’ bodies. No one has been meaningfully investigated, let alone prosecuted, for these killings.

“License to Kill”: Philippine police killings in Duterte’s war on drugs

The Foundation Against Illicit Drugs and Child Abuse (FADCA) is pleased to release the report of the Social and Economic Impact of Illicit Drugs in Liberia. The survey was funded by Open Society Foundations for Global Drug Policy through its subsidiary Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). The report paints a picture of the trend of the drug problem in Liberia.

The ultimate method for deriving better policies is to understand the nuances of the drug problem, in terms of its social, health, economic and political impact. Such understanding must be based on cogent scientific evidence derived from empirical data. This survey has been embarked to ascertain rising youth debut in drug use; understand the social and economic causes of youth debut and impact of drug in Liberia. To determine the level of health risk based on experiences and feelings of drug users. Findings of the survey will be used as advocacy and strategic information tools for planning future intervention and policy actions. 


Liberia: Social and economic impact of illicit drugs - baseline survey report

Time has come to embrace a different approach and adopt policies that are based on public health, community safety, human rights and development. Only such policies will deliver on the promise to improve people’s lives; only such policies will truly allow Myanmar to reduce the harm caused by problematic drug use, trafficking and production. This policy briefing was drafted by a group of local and international organisations with indepth knowledge and extensive experience of drug-related issues in Myanmar. It is structured around a set of five strategic interventions, each of which comes with concrete recommendations that are adapted to the Myanmar context. It contains reliable, up-to-date information and examples of evidence-based practices from Myanmar and around the world.

We identify the following 5 key strategic interventions.

Increase access to health, harm reduction and voluntary drug treatment for people using drugs

End the criminalisation of drug users and small-scale farmers

Refocus law enforcement efforts on violent organised crime and large-scale drug production and trafficking

Promote development projects in opium growing areas

Include civil society and affected communities in policy reform

Addressing drug problems in Myanmar

Questa ricerca sull’esperienza italiana di distribuzione del naloxone ai consumatori e nella comunità sociale (Take Home Naloxone – THN) nasce dalla necessità di colmare un vuoto di conoscenza, di informazione e di comunicazione attorno ad una esperienza ormai più che ventennale di riduzione del danno (RdD) e di limitazione dei rischi correlati (LdR) all’uso di oppiacei.

La letteratura scientifica sul THN italiano è assai scarna, si limita a pochi studi locali e datati, tanto che le più recenti rassegne internazionali paradossalmente non includono o trattano per cenni una delle poche esperienze nazionali di THN significative in termini di durata, continuità e ampiezza degli interventi. Un esempio emblematico: gli studi citati indicano il 1996 come anno di avvio dei primi interventi di THN in Italia, mentre già nel 1991 gli interventi di strada avevano adottato questa modalità, anticipando quanto sarebbe avvenuto in seguito in altri paesi.

Non è certamente, questa lacuna, responsabilità dei ricercatori internazionali, che avevano ed hanno la difficoltà di reperire fonti e dati sull’esperienza italiana.

Mantieniti informato degli sviluppi delle politiche riguardo le droghe iscrivendoti al

Prevenire le morti per overdose de oppiacei - una recerca sul modello italiano di distribuzione del naloxone

From the mid 90s in Italy the distribution of naloxone (Take Home Naloxone, THN) to people who use drugs (PWUDs) and their family and friendship networks, has been implemented: nowadays 57 harm reduction services distribute naloxone all over the Country, even if not in every Region. The research “Preventing opioid overdose deaths. A research on the Italian naloxone distribution model” is the first study on THN experience in Italy carried out by Forum Droghe with the collaboration of Eclectica, a research body, and three Public Addiction Departments (ASL 2, and ASL 3 in Turin and ASL 1 in Naples). It is a quant-qualitative research based on a dual perspective, from both health workers and PWUD, which analyzes and evaluates strong and weak points in the Italian model of THN. The results of the study show that THN is effective, sustainable, cheap and identifies how THN practices work together to increase awareness of risks, skills for intervention and self-efficacy among PWUDs, in a respectable process of social learning and health promotion. It demonstrates also the basic lack of risks or side effects to its feasibility and sustainability.

Preventing opioid overdose deaths: research on the Italian naloxone distribution model

Using drugs whilst sex working can be a dangerous combination. Involvement with controlled drugs increases the risk of getting involved in the criminal justice system and can dramatically increase the risks to your safety that are associated with sex work.

The most important way of minimising risks to your safety is to avoid using drugs while you are working.

In the following paragraphs, we set out basic information about the laws that are most likely to be relevant. If you want further information, you should contact your solicitor or call Release. The UK Network of Sex Projects has an excellent guide: ‘Keeping Safe: Safety Advice for Sex Workers in the UK’ ( or contact 0161 629 9861).

Sex workers and the law

This training resource has been designed to support stakeholders to put the UN Bangkok Rules on women offenders and prisoners into practice. It draws on global good practice and research findings to provide practical guidance, using exercises and case studies.

At the end of the ten modules, you will have the tools and knowledge to design gender-sensitive policies and practices
for women offenders and prisoners and apply them in your professional role.

10 modules, with clear learning objectives

case studies to help you apply international standards

good practices to inspire new thinking and provide solutions

additional resources to delve deeper into specific topics

end-of-module quizzes to assess your understanding.

While the Workbook has been designed as a self-learning tool, it can also be used as part of group training sessions. It is designed for prison staff, policy‑makers, healthcare practitioners, representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, and other interested stakeholders.

Workbook on women in detention: putting the UN Bangkok Rules on women prisoners into practice

While the adverse consequences of injecting drug use have increased significantly over the years, the services provided for drug users (including prevention, treatment and care) in addition to the advocacy and policy development efforts still remain far from adequate.

Drug use and HIV/AIDS are complex problems with political, social, economic, and cultural determinants. In the MENA region, the issue of drug use is even more complex and sensitive due to the effects of religion, insufficient knowledge on drugs and HR, repressive policies that stigmatize and punish drug users and the prevailing negative and judgmental attitudes towards PWUD. HR programs and services, including gender-sensitive services, are faced with multiple legal, political, financial, societal and cultural obstacles/challenges hindering their work. CSOs have an active role in advocating and promoting the HR approach, as well as delivering services to Key Populations (KPs). In countries of the region, where most services for PWID are driven and implemented by CSOs (MENAHRA, 2014), building the capacity and enhancing the knowledge and skills [of CSOs] to deliver services is a priority issue.

Publications from IDPC Members