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 of opioid addiction, a stranger, more ill-advised policy is hard…

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 offer honest information, 9 encourage moderation in youthful experimentation, and…

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 does not mention cannabis, giving methamphetamine a much higher profile…

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. […]

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 drugs and expunge the existing records of people with such…

This is a crisis caused by drug prohibition—an unintended consequence of nonmedical drug users accessing the black market in drugs. Policymakers should stop harassing doctors and their patients and shift the focus to reforming overall drug policy. A good place to start would be to implement harm reduction measures, such as safe syringe programs, making Medication Assisted Treatments like methadone…

“Needle and syringe programmes are an important harm-reduction intervention,” says Kathryn Leafe, the current executive director of the NZ Needle Exchange Programme. “Harm reduction is based on empathy and a non-judgmental approach, working with people where they are at and however they understand their drug use.” This is the “support don’t punish” model. […]

Harm reduction organisation Know Your Stuff has been testing drugs at festivals across the country and say they have been seeing gradually more people take up their service. […]

Jeff Sessions is leaving decisions about marijuana enforcement to his U.S. attorneys. They could impose huge disruptions on the legal, regulated marijuana business, which is bad enough, but they can’t bring back pot prohibition. Sessions is fighting a lonely, rear-guard battle not even supported by his own party or the president he serves. […]

Mrs McLean’s application to NSW Health to join a medicinal cannabis program has been rejected twice, despite her having support from two leading Australian specialists and approval from the Therapeutic Drugs Administration. […]