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Drug Law Reform Series

Cannabis Social Clubs en Espagne
October 2011
Martin Barriuso Alonso (FAC)

Les Clubs Sociaux du Cannabis (CSC) sont des associations d’usagers qui s’organisent pour s’auto-approvisionner sans avoir recours au marché noir. Profitant de une zone grise juridique, il existe depuis plusieurs années, des clubs privés qui produisent du cannabis pour le distribuer, sans but...

Série sur la Réforme Législative des Politiques des Drogues, Numéro 9
How to determine personal use in drug legislation
September 2011
Grazia Zuffa

Distinguishing between drug possession for personal use and supply and trafficking is widely acknowledged as one of the most difficult and controversial issues facing drug legislators and policy makers.

Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr 15
Conviction by Numbers
September 2011
Genevieve Harris

The use of "threshold quantities" for determining charges for drugs offences has become a popular quick-fix by policy makers keen to save time and money, but they should be used with caution as they also carry the risk of wrongful conviction and disproportionate responses.

Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr. 14
Kratom in Thailand: Decriminalisation and Community Control?
May 2011
Pascal Tanguay

Kratom is an integral part of Thai culture and has neglible harmful effects. Community level control and education are recommended for the best path to harm reduction.

Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr. 13
Drug Law Reform: Lessons from the New Zealand Experience
August 2010
Sanji Gunasekara

In 2007, the Government of New Zealand entrusted an independent agency, the National Law Commission, to review the country’s drug law. New Zealand’s approach to drug law reform may provide lessons for other countries.

Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr. 8
A Matter of Substance
July 2010
Ernestien Jensema

This paper discusses the “substance-oriented approach” Dutch authorities implemented to to scare off potential small-scale cocaine smugglers. The focus was on the drugs, rather than the couriers, and on incapacitating the smuggling route, rather than deterrence by incarceration.

Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr. 7
Argentina: Reform on the way?
July 2010
Graciela Touzé

In August 2009, the Argentina Supreme Court declared legislation criminalizing drug possession for personal consumption as unconstitutional. This briefing discusses the background of that decision, the small steps taken since, but argues that there is still much to do before a genuine reform...

Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr. 6
Sentencing for Drug Offences in England and Wales
June 2010
Genevieve Harris

Sentencing for drug offences in England and Wales has recently undergone a wide-sweeping review and public consultation. The purpose of this report is to examine and evaluate this mechanism for law reform, without the need for legislative reform, and to consider the specific discussion around...

Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr. 5
Prohibition, a backwards step
January 2010
Diana Esther Guzmán, Rodrigo Uprimny Yepes

In December 2009, the Congress in Colombia passed a reform to the 1991 Constitution, which considered the possession and consumption of certain quantities of drugs for personal use legal, to enact constitutional prohibition. This briefing shows the changes that this constitutional amendment...

Legislative Reform of Drug Policies Nr. 4
Legislative Innovation in Drug Policy
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November 2009
Martin Jelsma

This briefing summarizes good practices in legislative reforms around the world, representing steps away from a repressive zero-tolerance model towards a more evidence-based and humane drug policy.

Drugs Law Reform Papers
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