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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Most US drug arrests involve a gram or less

Law enforcement disproportionately targets small possession offences, particularly for cannabis and among Black communities.

News Alerts July 3, 2019

In the U.S., safe consumption spaces would be welcomed by high-risk opioid users

Three-city study suggest public health benefits could be significant, with about 3/4 of respondents willing to use the sites.

News Alerts July 3, 2019

Chronic pain management among people who use drugs: A health policy challenge in the context of the opioid crisis

This paper highlights the disproportionate negative impact of stigma and restrictive prescription practices on people who use drugs.

Publications July 3, 2019

Supervised consumption site in federal prison will be 1st in Canada, says union

Authorities said the service will improve the safety of both inmates and personnel.

News Alerts July 2, 2019

Illinois’ cannabis bill is first to incorporate reparations

Illinois' state legislature is the first to propose and vote the legalization of marijuana, but also the first to include a comprehensive reparations strategy. This strategy, called "Restore, Reinvest, and Renew", or "R3", will put 25 percent of all tax revenues of cannabis back into the hands of…

News Alerts July 2, 2019

Overdose crisis death toll in Canada would be more than double without harm reduction, study says

An estimated 3,000 deaths were prevented through the deployment of take-home naloxone, safer consumption sites and other harm reduction services.

News Alerts July 2, 2019

'Safe supply' at heart of regulating illicit drug use, say experts in Canada

International experts urged the Canadian government to tackle 'poisoned' supply, move away from prohibition.

News Alerts June 4, 2019

New US airstrikes obscure a dramatic development in the Afghan drugs industry – the proliferation of low cost methamphetamine

As the US continues its futile laboratory bombing campaign, a growing methamphetamine market flourishes in Afghanistan and its vicinity.

News Alerts June 3, 2019

Women who use drugs: Challenges demand self-led harm reduction

Community-led and gender-specific spaces and services remain incredibly rare.

News Alerts June 3, 2019

Reframing the blame for the war on drugs

#ReframeTheBlame asks for people to look critically at drug policies and push for reform.

News Alerts June 3, 2019

The implementation of overdose prevention sites as a novel and nimble response during an illegal drug overdose public health emergency

The successful implementation of OPS in British Columbia questions the pertinence of lengthy bureaucratic hurdles to life-saving harm reduction initiatives.

Publications May 30, 2019

Dossier: The Violation of a Nation

CIAAG denounces obstructive CDC opioid guidelines and their negative impact on patient's physical condition and quality of life.

Publications May 8, 2019

10,000 opioid-related deaths recorded in Canada from 2016 to 2018

The federal government has announced it will provide an additional $30.5 million over five years to tackle the ongoing crisis.

News Alerts April 24, 2019

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 April 17, 2019

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

Critics suggest a better move would be to expunge all convictions.

News Alerts April 15, 2019

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

International Drug Policy Consortium

North America

Most US drug arrests involve a gram or less

In the U.S., safe consumption spaces would be welcomed by high-risk opioid users

Chronic pain management among people who use drugs: A health policy challenge in the context of the opioid crisis

Supervised consumption site in federal prison will be 1st in Canada, says union

Illinois’ cannabis bill is first to incorporate reparations

Overdose crisis death toll in Canada would be more than double without harm reduction, study says

'Safe supply' at heart of regulating illicit drug use, say experts in Canada

New US airstrikes obscure a dramatic development in the Afghan drugs industry – the proliferation of low cost methamphetamine

Women who use drugs: Challenges demand self-led harm reduction

Reframing the blame for the war on drugs

The implementation of overdose prevention sites as a novel and nimble response during an illegal drug overdose public health emergency

Dossier: The Violation of a Nation

10,000 opioid-related deaths recorded in Canada from 2016 to 2018

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

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