Decriminalisation, legal regulation & reform

Drug law reform

Blog30 September 2025

Practicing liberatory harm reduction: From street-level care to policy reform advocacy

In Cavite, liberatory harm reduction means building care and justice from the streets up — from mutual aid to drug policy reform, survival practices grow into movements for dignity and change.

Publications15 September 2025

Guaranteeing the rights of young people and substance use in contexts of armed conflict in the Colombian Amazon - Submission to the UN CESCR on Colombia

IDPC and A la Orilla del Río highlight how prohibitionism continues to shape the lives of young people in the Colombian Amazon, where gaps between policy and practice perpetuate stigmatisation and deny rights.

Publications10 September 2025

Rethinking Chile’s drug policy through human rights and harm reduction – Report to the CESCR for the periodic review of Chile

HRI and LANPUD call for reform of punitive laws that fuel mass incarceration and violate rights, and for investment in health, harm reduction, and community leadership.

Events

Drug policy reform: A powerful tool to prevent serious human rights violations

Geneva, Switzerland / Online

16 September 2025

The event will explore how drug policy reform can prevent serious human rights violations, broaden discussions beyond health, and highlight pathways toward decriminalisation, the abolition of the death penalty, and international cooperation.

News3 September 2025

Dutch hashish only in 10 towns as legal marijuana trial moves on

Ten Dutch municipalities will be permitted to sell only legally produced hashish. Experts suggest demand for Moroccan hashish will continue, driving the market out of the shops and into the streets

Publications14 August 2025

Criminalizing public space through a decriminalization framework: The paradox of British Columbia, Canada

Singh Kelsall et al. argue that British Columbia’s rollback of decriminalisation is a form of bio-political violence, a state-sanctioned massacre cloaked in public health policy.

Publications13 August 2025

Legal and policy considerations on decriminalisation of drug use and possession for personal use: International legal framework and the UN system common position on drug-related matters

UNODC presents its perspective on the role of treaty flexibilities in enabling decriminalisation as part of health-based approaches, identifying related reforms and alternatives to punitive measures.

Publications13 August 2025

Vienna after consensus: Report of the 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

IDPC highlights the creation of an independent review and deepening divides on harm reduction, human rights, and Indigenous rights.

News12 August 2025

How can drug decriminalisation be built to last?

Though often framed as a cure-all, decriminalisation is only one piece of the puzzle, and its success depends on the holistic improvement of social support.

IDPC in the Media12 August 2025

How can drug decriminalisation be built to last?

Filter Mag

Publications21 July 2025

Guide to compassionate governance

OPIS explains that criminalising drug use causes harm and that reform demands compassion, care, and smarter laws.

Publications21 July 2025

State adult-use cannabis policy effects on law enforcement efforts to disrupt drug markets

Montgomery et al. find that U.S. cannabis legalisation reduced overall drug seizures, but racial disparities persisted, underscoring the need for more systemic change.

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