Drug Policy

On August 3, 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act, legislation that would reduce the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine, into law. The bill was  seen as an attempt to reduce racial disparities in U.S. prisons: According to the American Civil Liberties Union, more than 80 percent of U.S. prisoners for crack cocaine-related offenses are African Americans. Kara Gotsch, the director of advocacy for the Sentencing Project, was part of a coalition of activists who raised awareness on the sentencing disparities and helped bring the issue to the 2008 elections.

In a seminar organized by the Secretariat of Security of Rio de Janeiro, security officials discussed ways to work with other departments to better address crack use. According to the State Secretariat of Security in Rio de Janeiro
(Seseg), 691 crack users have been taken off city streets and sent to
city shelters. The departments of Social Assistance and Human Rights,
Health and Civil Defense, and Education will collaborate to improve the care and treatment of drug
users.

Despite its prohibition during the last half century, the coca leaf is still chewed by Andean indigenous populations, who have been consuming the plant's nutrients for the past 5,000 years. The defense of this ancestral tradition has been espoused by Bolivian diplomats, who are pushing an intense international campaign before the United Nations to amend Article 49 of the Convention of 1961 and recognize the legitimacy of the coca leaf.

Retired judge Maria Lucia Karam, who supports an overhaul of drug polcies in Brazil, recently joined Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), an NGO founded in 2002 by U.S. law enforcement officers who decided to question the success of the war on drugs. In this article, Karam traces the trajectory of Brazil's "war on drugs" and discusses the beginning of LEAP's activism in Brazil.

California's Proposition 19 ("Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010"), a statewide referendum on the decriminalization of possession and sale of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, was voted down yesterday, by a 56.5 percent to 43.5 percent margin.  The proposal, which would have undermined federal laws against narcotics use and sale, has added to widespread debate on the potential economic and social effects of current drug policy in the U.S. and in Latin America.

There is a rising new consensus that the goal of eradicating illegal drug markets and drug use is unreachable, even harmful. But behind this consensus are different perspectives hoping to take their concerns, new data and strategies to policy makers around the world. The International Drug Policy Consortium has created a guide to help them interact with governments and promote drug policy reform.

The regional consensus on the Drug Policy Reform is that it must mirror regional needs and experience, setting a tone for cooperation among nations. A meeting held last week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, brought together representatives of governments, scientific researchers,
judicial authorities as well as harm reduction and health care practictioners. Representatives of 13 countries met to take drug policy reform a step ahead in the direction away from mere prohibitionism: privileging science over prejudice.

Specialists from 13 countries, among them university researchers, members of government and activists will meet on the 26th and 27th of August in Rio de Janeiro, to debate drug policy alternatives during the II Latin American Drug Policy Conference.

A party that is 3 to 4 days long, bringing thousands of revelers to the throbbing beat of techno music. That and hardly disguised illicit drug use. French researcher Dominique Duprez discusses his conclusions from watching middle class drug users and the ground breaking harm reduction champions that take daring health professionals out of their comfort zones.

Harm Reduction is part of drug policy in 93 countries, 11 more than two years ago. There are still challenges ahead, as noted by a recent report released at the International Conference on Harm Reduction held in Liverpool, England.