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.

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Results 1 to 20 of 978.

Effort to legalize marijuana in New Jersey collapses

Due to domestic party disagreement, the Democrats were unable to pass a bill to legalise cannabis and that to many was an 'urgent' civil rights issue and an opportunity to deal with the consequences of the war on drugs on minorities.

News Alerts 2 days, 2 hours ago

New cannabis-amnesty bill could pardon 10,000 people, Ottawa says

With upwards of 250,000 individual convictions for those in possession of less than 30 grams of cannabis in Ottawa and only around 10,000 expected pardon requests, Murray Rankin, the NDP’s deputy justice critic suggests a better move would be to expunge all convictions - as they did for those…

News Alerts 4 days, 3 hours ago

We need more focus on how the drug war attacks parents of color

The disproportionate impact of the war on drugs on communities of colour has destructive knock-on effects on families.

News Alerts April 4, 2019

Next-generation single-dose antidotes for opioid overdoses

A promising drug delivery system could improve overdose reversal outcomes.

News Alerts April 4, 2019

Heroin compassion clubs - A cooperative model to reduce opioid overdose deaths & disrupt organized crime’s role in fentanyl, money laundering & housing unaffordability

The BC Centre on Substance Use suggests a membership-based cooperative model would reduce the public health consequences stemming from the poisoning of the illicit drug supply.

Publications March 1, 2019

Is policy ‘liberalization’ associated with higher odds of adolescent cannabis use? A re-analysis of data from 38 countries

Alex Stevens suggests that the impact of cannabis policy "liberalisation" on adolescent cannabis use has been drastically overestimated in previous research.

Publications March 1, 2019

Responding to America's opioids crisis

28 February 2019 15:00-17:00

Washington Office on Latin America, 1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 400

The discussion will discuss options on how to deal with this ever-growing challenge, including the future direction of domestic policy.

Events 20 February 2019

White House priorities opioid abuse in first national drug control strategy

"It lacks imagination, urgency or any real innovation when it comes to tackling one of the biggest crises of our time -- the overdose crisis," (M.Collins, Drug Policy Alliance)

News Alerts February 11, 2019

8th International Conference on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users

11 - 13 September 2019

Le Westin, Montréal, Canada

The objective of the Conference is to create a global network that works with local partners to support health care workers, policy makers, researchers and people who use drugs to increase hepatitis C prevention and care.

Events 11 February 2019

Rethinking drug courts: International experiences of a US policy export

The LSE IDPU argue question the effectiveness of drug courts courts, proposing instead a direction that aims to divert individuals involved with drugs, from the criminal justice system.

Publications February 6, 2019

United States national drug control strategy - 2019

The White House publishes its long-awaited drug control strategy, with the overarching objective of 'building a stronger, healthier, drug free society'.

Publications February 1, 2019

Rights-based approach to overdose epidemic must include decriminalisation

The criminalisation of people who use drugs is inconsistent with human rights norms.

News Alerts February 1, 2019

US Attorney General nominee says he’s “not going after” marijuana in states where it’s legal

Barr would end looming threat posed by predecessor's stance on cannabis regulation.

News Alerts January 30, 2019

Sexual minorities more likely to suffer severe substance use disorders

The study presents that people uncertain about their sexual identity were 'five times' more likely to suffer from a severe disorder.

News Alerts January 30, 2019

Voices of Civil Society: Beyond 2019 - CSTF civil society hearing in New York

20 February 2019

New York, United States

The CSTF civil society hearing in New York is expected to take place on 20 February.

Events 29 January 2019

Trinidad and Tobago to decriminalise cannabis, consider legalisation

Advocacy groups, including Rastafari organisations, say the move falls short of the need for legal regulation.

News Alerts January 23, 2019

How drugs pour into the United States from Mexico

Trump's suggestion that a border wall will stem tide of drugs doesn't stand scrutiny.

News Alerts January 23, 2019

USA: Man charged with homicide for sharing drugs with woman who later died

Tackling fatal overdoses necessitates reducing obstacles to call emergency services, including those imposed by criminal law on people sharing drugs.

News Alerts January 23, 2019

USA: Finally, a leading mega-giver steps up for the opioid crisis as the death toll rises

Bloomberg Philanthropies has pledged $50 million to fighting the overdose crisis.

News Alerts January 23, 2019

US soldiers plead guilty to attempting to smuggle $1 million worth of cocaine from Colombia aboard military plane

Newsweek

Thumbnail: Flickr CC Daniel Zanini H.

Coverage January 10, 2019

International Drug Policy Consortium

North America

Effort to legalize marijuana in New Jersey collapses

New cannabis-amnesty bill could pardon 10,000 people, Ottawa says

We need more focus on how the drug war attacks parents of color

Next-generation single-dose antidotes for opioid overdoses

Heroin compassion clubs - A cooperative model to reduce opioid overdose deaths & disrupt organized crime’s role in fentanyl, money laundering & housing unaffordability

Is policy ‘liberalization’ associated with higher odds of adolescent cannabis use? A re-analysis of data from 38 countries

Responding to America's opioids crisis

White House priorities opioid abuse in first national drug control strategy

8th International Conference on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users

Rethinking drug courts: International experiences of a US policy export

United States national drug control strategy - 2019

Rights-based approach to overdose epidemic must include decriminalisation

US Attorney General nominee says he’s “not going after” marijuana in states where it’s legal

Sexual minorities more likely to suffer severe substance use disorders

Voices of Civil Society: Beyond 2019 - CSTF civil society hearing in New York

Trinidad and Tobago to decriminalise cannabis, consider legalisation

How drugs pour into the United States from Mexico

USA: Man charged with homicide for sharing drugs with woman who later died

USA: Finally, a leading mega-giver steps up for the opioid crisis as the death toll rises

US soldiers plead guilty to attempting to smuggle $1 million worth of cocaine from Colombia aboard military plane

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