News
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Helen Clark pushes for drug laws to focus on treatment, not punishment
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark says people who use drugs are unfairly painted as criminals, and instead wants an evidence-based system based on treatment, social services and safe spaces. Clark is one of several prominent members – including former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and a dozen former heads of state…
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Families turning to drug dealers to source medicinal cannabis
Doctors have warned that families are turning to drug dealers because the process of obtaining medicinal cannabis legally is too arduous, despite the Turnbull government legalising its export earlier this month […]
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Legal marijuana cuts violence says US study, as medical-use laws see crime fall
According to the study, Is Legal Pot Crippling Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations? The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on US Crime, when a state on the Mexican border legalised medical use of the drug, violent crime fell by 13% on average. Most of the marijuana consumed in the US originates in…
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Attitudes drive drug policy, not facts, says Global Commission
Terms such ‘drug user’, ‘drug abuser’, ‘addict’ and ‘junkie’ should be avoided as they are derogatory and dehumanise people who take drugs, fuelling harmful drug policies which affect their health and human rights. These views are voiced in a new report launched on 9 January by the Global Commission on Drug…
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New Zealand’s First Cannabis Grower Is Being Considered for Sainthood
Unlike other Europeans who scorned aboriginal medicine in favor of Western medicine, Aubert studied traditional Maori medicine and incorporated it into her healing practice. Aubert also recognized the medicinal properties of cannabis, and is believed to be the first New Zealander to ever cultivate the plant in the country. The…
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US: Going After Weed in the Middle of a Deadly Opioid Crisis Is Insane
On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions opened a new front in the War on Weed, rescinding Obama-era policies that discouraged federal prosecution of pot crimes in legal-weed states. Given that study after study suggests marijuana availability is linked to lower overdose death rates, reduced use of opioids for chronic pain, and lower rates…
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The World Drug Perception Problem
The fear of drugs has translated into messages for prevention that promote complete abstinence and state that all drugs are equally bad. However, providing information which is incomplete and often even incorrect lessens any chance of trust between the authorities and young people. A better way forward would be to…
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There are more positive ways to engage an effective community response to methamphetamine
Why are the local media so interested in publishing stories updating their readership of the latest results of the national methamphetamine wastewater analysis competition? It provides the media with an opportunity to perpetuate the so called “ice epidemic” and associated moral panic. It is worth noting that the ACIC data…
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UK: Changing drug laws too much hassle for Tories, says Nick Clegg
Speaking at a lunch hosted by the Global Commission on Drug Policy, of which he is a member, Clegg said: “I experienced coalition with the Conservatives, and I couldn’t find a sensible Conservative who didn’t privately entirely agree that the law is a complete ass and everything should be changed. […]
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Ineffective drug policies can no longer be ignored
Here is a plan for governments of all persuasions in 2018: 1. Convene a national summit to commit to introducing policies that reduce drug harm. 2. Redirect funding from ineffective policies and practices to those that are effective. 3. Stop criminalising people for the simple act of possessing or using…