North America

US President Nixon launched the "war on drugs" in the 1970s. Today, incarceration, social marginalisation and drug-related deaths have led North America to rethink this strategy. However, although positive developments are happening locally in the fields of harm reduction, alternatives to incarceration, new drug law enforcement approaches and cannabis regulation, the US and Canadian federal governments remain resistant to drug policy reform.

Read more

Results 1 to 20 of 926.

Decision to halt overdose prevention sites 'horrifying,' advocates say

The decision of the government of Ontario is hard to understand in the context of an ongoing overdose crisis.

News Alerts 6 days ago

In Amsterdam, drug-checking centres make sure illegal substances are safe for users. Should Canada do it?

Considering the high rates of contamination by fentanyl, Canada should embrace a comprehensive understanding of harm reduction as a policy-making principle.

News Alerts 6 days, 1 hour ago

The environmental impacts of the legalisation of cannabis in California

GDPO argues that a sustainable cannabis industry needs to improve data collection on water, waste, and energy consumption.

Publications July 19, 2018

Cannabis decriminalization: A study of recent policy change in five U.S. states

International Journal of Drug Policy published a report that suggests decriminalisation of marijuana does not lead to increased use amongst young people.

Publications July 18, 2018

In Mexico, SSDP activists fight violence and stigma caused by the war on drugs

In explaining the struggle led by SSDP in Mexico, Marisa Morales proves the significance of SSDP which needs your help to improve its international activities.

News Alerts July 13, 2018

Incoming Mexican president to seek negotiated peace in drug war

Inspired by Colombia, the new Mexican president Lopez Obrador proposes a “transitional justice” based on amnesty and decriminalisation to stop the drug war.

News Alerts July 10, 2018

Lessons from Vancouver: U.S. cities consider supervised injection facilities

Seeing success in other public health models, the U.S. will consider drug consumption rooms as the opioid crisis continues its destruction.

News Alerts July 6, 2018

Ending the war on drugs in the U.S.

Centre for American Progress suggests harm reduction is a necessary tool and paradigm shift that must occur in order for the U.S. to end its war on drugs and address the opioid crisis.

Publications June 28, 2018

More than 140 organizations condemn President Trump's call to execute people for nonviolent drug offenses

Over 140 organisations condemned President Trump's call to use the death penalty in drug related cases and instead implored the administration to focus on reforms to combat the war on drugs.

News Alerts June 27, 2018

Drug users want to lead Victoria’s opioid crisis battle

The Society of Living Intravenous Drug Users (SOLID) has implemented community programs to assist other drug users in the fight against the opioid crisis through harm reduction programs and advocacy, however in order to continue the work they do, the government must increase its financial support.

News Alerts June 26, 2018

As fentanyl seeps into drugs, activists urge users to test

A new harm reduction measure has been implemented in states like Minnesota where heroin users are given strips that test for the presence of fentanyl, a cheaper, more powerful drug.

News Alerts June 25, 2018

Ontario promotes free use of opioid antidote

The availability of naloxone has served as a successful harm reduction measure in Ontario and other Canadian provinces, laying a groundwork for a similar model in the United States where the opioid crisis continues to surge.

News Alerts June 25, 2018

Women are taking the lead across Vermont's budding cannabis industry

Women in Vermont see an entrance into a lucrative business market as marijuana becomes more available to the general public through various products that appeal to many markets.

News Alerts June 22, 2018

Reimagining Drug Policy Through Artistic Expression

25 June 2018

New York, New York USA

On June 25th, Open Society Foundations will be hosting an event to show support for the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking through an artistic platform that illuminates the effects of drug policies on communities all across the world.

Events 20 June 2018

Bill would expunge some convictions if recreational marijuana is legalised in Michigan

While marijuana is not yet legal in Michigan, local lawmaker Sheldon Neeley has proposed a bill that would allow those with misdemeanour marijuana crimes to have their records expunged if cannabis becomes legal.

News Alerts June 19, 2018

Joint pain relief: Elderly turning to cannabis as treatment option

Cannabis finds a larger market in the elderly looking for ways to cure various aches and pains through marijuana as an option.

News Alerts June 15, 2018

Opioid crisis: this doctor’s street-level views could change the course of the epidemic in the United States

In addition to collective quantitative data and statistics, researchers in the United States are now multi-disciplinary aspects such as field work in their attempts to solve and eradicate the opioid crisis in the United States.

News Alerts June 14, 2018

Amid congressional action on opioid epidemic, Congresswoman Watson Coleman introduces resolution acknowledging the failures of the war on drugs

U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman put forth a resolution that includes a formal apology from Congress for the failure and destruction the war on drugs has caused, specifically to people of color, and additionally proclaims that future drug policy should be based on health evidence.