News
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South Africa High Court Just Legalized Private Cannabis Use
In a landmark ruling this morning, the Western Cape High Court in South Africa ruled that keeping weed illegal is unconstitutional. The decision marks a significant change in South Africa’s cannabis laws, effectively legalizing private cannabis use. […]
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Why it’s important to just say no to bad drug policy
We should just say no to antiquated, ineffective and regressive strategies and policies for drug misuse prevention, and to demonizing complicated behaviors that are often initiated out of trauma, for capital gains in the prison system. Sessions, it seems, wants to further stigmatize and criminalize trauma. To this, I just…
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Drug Decriminalization Conversation Ramps Up In Australia
Mick Palmer spent decades locking up drug users, first as a policeman and eventually as the head of the Australian Federal Police. Now, Palmer—along with other law enforcement officers and politicians—is calling for the widespread decriminalization of drugs in Australia in order to turn the tide against a drug enforcement policy…
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Former premiers and Australian police chiefs call for drug decriminalisation
The report, entitled “Can Australia respond to drugs more effectively and safely?”, makes 13 recommendations around minimising drug-related harm and the burden on the criminal justice system. Among them are reducing and, where possible, eliminating penalties for possession and use; expanding health and social assistance for young people struggling with drug…
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Former top cops want ‘white market’ in illicit drugs, decriminalisation, more injecting rooms
The Australia21 report has the backing of former police commissioners and assistant commissioners, two former heads of Corrective Services, a former Supreme Court Judge and a former Director of Public Prosecutions. […]
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Kings Cross healthcare provider Ingrid van Beek says the time has come for drug decriminalisation
Ingrid van Beek, who has been at the forefront of providing health care for drug users, sex workers and homeless people in around Sydney’s Kings Cross for 30 years, is calling for drug use to be decriminalised. […]
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Drugs: The big win that proves we lose
Since Mokbel was jailed, the flow of drugs has only grown. He brought them in by containers; now syndicates have their own ships. He was a smart local entrepeneur; now Australia is targeted by international cartels, well aware we pay the highest prices in the world. The truth is we…
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As police admit to losing battle, Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation president Alex Wodak calls for ice ingestion rooms
As State Government officials tour the state for a series of Ice Taskforce roundtables, people at the frontline of the Australia’s ice epidemic have told the Sunday Mail the police-based “war on drugs” approach is failing. Instead, they say a greater focus on health services, funding for treatment programs and…
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An Interview with Ethan Nadelmann
(W)ho are the drug reform movement? We’re people who love drugs, people who hate drugs, and we’re the people who don’t give a damn about drugs. But every one of us believes that the war on drugs is not the right way to deal with it. And that weaving together…
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Australia’s war on drugs is failing. We must change course
We cannot allow our national drugs policy to be dictated by the feelings of ageing shock jocks, and conservative politician desperate to cling to power at any cost. We must stick to the facts. It is the only way to save lives. […]