Decriminalisation, legal regulation & reform

Decriminalisation

News29 March 2023

Colombia, Bolivia to ask UN to remove coca leaf from narcotics list

Petro's government announced it will endorse Bolivia's request for the removal of the coca leaf, which is recognised as a part of the identity and collective memory of both countries and other Indigenous communities in the Andean region.

Events

Learning together: Progressing decriminalisation in Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Poland and Maine

Online

3 March 2023

This webinar will cover the international policy context of decriminalisation and the findings from a recent report on decriminalisation efforts in five jurisdictions.

IDPC in the Media10 February 2023

Bangkok becoming a weed wild west

Bangkok Post / Thumbnail: Flickr - Marketeering Group - CC BY 2.0

Publications19 January 2023

Ireland: Joint Committee on Justice report on an examination of the present approach to sanctions for possession of certain amounts of drugs for personal use

The committee recognises the ongoing challenges related to drug use and recommends addressing them through a harm reduction and decriminilatsaion strategy.

Publications18 January 2023

The Cape Declaration on decriminalising poverty and status

Participants convened by the Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status outline the harms of criminalisation for marginalised groups and call for urgent action to curb them through legal reforms, further research and funding for civil society.

News16 January 2023

Canada: British Columbia decrim threshold was set for police, not people who use drugs

Activists decried that the measure will suppose supplementary funds for policing and, through very low thresholds, perpetuate police intervention in the lives of people who use drugs.

News16 January 2023

Thailand: Vendors' cannabis sales to be monitored

Public health and drug control authorities move to formalise the status of over 5,000 cannabis vendors.

News12 December 2022

Decriminalisation in Portugal: Through the lens of people who use drugs

Despite its many successes, the model has become burdened by austerity, underfunding and a continued reliance on surveillance and control.

Publications29 November 2022

Dangerous inequalities: World AIDS Day report 2022

UNAIDS unpacks the impact that gender inequalities, inequalities faced by key populations, and inequalities between children and adults have had on the AIDS response.

News1 November 2022

Podcast: Not a crime

This podcast series highlights the impact of criminalisation on people living with HIV and people who use drugs.

News1 November 2022

On International Drug Users’ Day, UNAIDS calls for action against the criminalisation of people who use drugs and for community-led harm reduction programmes

Despite international commitments to ensure access to harm reduction, less than 1% of people who inject drugs live in countries with UN recommended levels of coverage of the basic package of interventions.

News26 October 2022

Why Aotearoa / New Zealand should decriminalise cannabis and overturn convictions

Sarah Helm explains why New Zealand's government should take cues from Joe Biden's announced cannabis pardons.

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