Decriminalisation, legal regulation & reform

Decriminalisation

Publications16 February 2026

Confiscations, public health obstructions, and perpetual displacement: Experiences and perspectives on urban law enforcement practices during a period of 'recriminalization' among people who use criminalized drugs

Singh Kelsall et al. find that harmful policing practices persisted during British Columbia’s decriminalisation pilot and subsequent recriminalisation, including confiscations, displacement and interference with overdose response.

Events

CND 69 and drug policy reform: Unpacking key implications

Online

31 March 2026

Join us for a webinar reflecting on key developments from this year’s CND session and their implications for the future of global drug policy reform.

News12 February 2026

South Africa: Crime, cartels and corruption — The drug policy debate we refuse to have

Punitive drug laws are fuelling corruption, strengthening illicit markets and misdirecting police resources, while failing to improve community safety.

Publications13 December 2025

Drug decriminalization: A co-designed study outlining the implications for providers of youth services

Morgan et al. conclude that effective drug policy in British Columbia should be co-designed and co-facilitated with young people who use drugs and practitioners to better address local needs.

Publications11 December 2025

Policing and access to harm reduction services among young people who use drugs and young Indigenous people who use drugs before and after the pilot implementation of decriminalization of personal possession

McAdam et al. examine how decriminalisation reduced policing-related barriers to services, revealing important benefits for young people, including Indigenous.

News11 December 2025

Dance for freedom: Rave revolution in front of the Hungarian Parliament

Thousands gathered to protest Hungary's escalating police harassment of musicians, clubs and young people.

News10 December 2025

New EU Drug Strategy risks undermining health, harm reduction and human rights - Joint letter by 84 civil society organisations

We join 83 organisations urging EU Member States to revise the proposed Drug Strategy and reject a trafficking-only Action Plan, to ensure harm reduction, health and human rights remain central to EU drug policy.

Publications1 December 2025

Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response - 2025 World AIDS Day report

UNAIDS examines the threats facing the HIV response, including funding cuts, rising criminalisation, and growing gender-based violence, urging bold action to safeguard progress and build sustainable, community-led systems of care.

Publications16 October 2025

IDPC Progress Report 2024-2025

IDPC reflects on a year of resilience and change, driving decriminalisation, harm reduction, responsible regulation, and international drug policy reform while defending civil society and rights amid funding cuts and political turmoil.

News14 October 2025

Coca isn’t just for cocaine, Bolivia wants the world to know

Bolivia's campaign to remove the coca leaf from the list of the world’s most dangerous drugs highlights the plant's cultural, medicinal and economic importance — and its potential to reshape global drug policy.

Publications14 October 2025

Safer drug laws for Aotearoa New Zealand - Pragmatic, evidence-based recommendations for safer drug laws

The New Zealand Drug Foundation urges reform of outdated drug laws, calling for decriminalisation, Māori-led health approaches and investment in harm reduction to build safer, fairer, evidence-based policies for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Publications10 October 2025

It's not so simple: The impact of simple drug possession and trafficking offences on health equity

The HIV Legal Network argues that laws criminalising simple possession and drug trafficking entrench racism and stigma, deepen inequality, and endanger health and safety by pushing drug use into isolation and heightening the risk of overdose.

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