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What people say…

Decriminalisation had the desired effect of reducing drug-related arrests, while releasing resources and removing a barrier for problematic users to seek help.

Pavel Bemformer Mayor of Prague

This is an issue we’re not going to police our way out of.

The Hon Michael Keenan MPFederal Justice Minister

As an investment, the war on drugs has failed to deliver any returns. If it were a business, it would have been shut down a long time ago. This is not what success looks like.

Richard Bransonbusinessman

For social problems like these, law enforcement isn’t the answer. Ice has been on the scene for over a decade and we’ve had a really strong law enforcement approach and it hasn’t resolved the problem. The time’s right now to look at the other options.

Ken LayHead of the National Ice Taskforce, Former Victorian Police Commissioner

We must now all recognise the violence related to drug trafficking in some countries and regions, and the lack of access to harm reduction measures and treatment in others as a problem for all of us.

Olusegun Obasanjoformer President of Nigeria

New Zealand chose to take an innovative, harm-minimisation approach through regulating the market.

Peter DunneAssociate Minister of Health of New Zealand

Despite all the resources spent by governments, the global drugs trade is now entirely controlled by violent criminal organisations.

Sir Richard Bransonbusinessman

It is now well-established that the war on drugs has caused more suffering than the drug problem it was supposed to be tackling. The good news is the tide finally appears to be turning. Countries around the world are experimenting with new approaches, from decriminalisation to regulated markets. It’s an incredibly exciting time.

Nick Cleggformer UK Deputy Prime Minister

I have no problem with the medical use of cannabis, just as I have no problem with the medical use of opiates.

The Hon Tony Abbott MPFormer Prime Minister of Australia

I believe that drugs have destroyed many lives, but wrong government policies have destroyed many more. In what other areas of public health do we criminalise patients in need of help? Surely it cannot be the job of the criminal justice system to prescribe remedies to deal with public health concerns. This is the job of public health professionals.

Kofi Annanformer General Secretary of the United Nations (May 2015)

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