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Recent content by Tom Blickman

Cannabis social club activists in Spain liberated

Cultivation and consumption of cannabis is decriminalised to an extent but lack of guidelines causes rogue social clubs to undermine the success of self-regulated social clubs. The result; an unwarranted arrest of three Pannagh activists. 

Immediate release for Martin Barriuso and his two fellow activists

The arrest of Barriuso and two fellow activists of Pannagh is uncalled for. They should be released immediately.

The urgent next steps in ATS and Harm reduction

Now is the time to implement low cost and simple harm reduction measures for amphetamine-type stimulant users.

In memoriam: Adrian Cowell

Adrian Cowell, a groundbreaking documentary film maker and good friend, died early October in London.

Amphetamine Type Stimulants and Harm Reduction

Little is known about the methamphetamine market in the region, but there are strong indications that the situation is deteriorating with substances becoming stronger, methods of use more harmful and the number of users steadily increasing. There is an urgent need for donors and governments to introduce effective harm reduction measures.

Time for a realistic new international drugs framework

It is time to face up to the fact that the 50 year old 1961 UN drugs convention is obsolete, impossible to amend and has lost its integrity.

Argentina and Mexico clash with the INCB, Italy with Europe

At the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna this year, Mexico and Argentina object to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB)'s criticisms as an incursion on national sovereignty, while Italy blocks the EU's planned "harm reduction" legislation.

Hulp VS in Mexicaanse strijd tegen drugs

De Verenigde Staten gaan Mexico helpen in de strijd tegen drugs. Een delegatie onder leiding van de Amerikaanse ministers Clinton en Gates, belooft Mexico onder meer geld en extra manschappen. Tom Blickman van Transnational Institute doet onderzoek naar drugsbeleid over de hele wereld en schat de effectiviteit van de steun in.

The Impact of Militia Actions on Public Security Policies in Rio de Janeiro

An examination of the rise of militias – well-organised private vigilante groups made up of rogue, dismissed or retired police officers, firemen and prison guards - in the recurrent episodes of extreme urban violence in Rio de Janeiro, which represents developments in urban security that spread far beyond Brazil.

Countering illicit and unregulated money flows

Since its beginnings in 1989, the international anti-money laundering regime has not worked as well as intended. After two decades of failed efforts, experts still ponder how to implement one that does work. A bolder initiative is required at the United Nations level, moving from recommendations to obligations, and fully engaging developing nations.

Drug Policy Reform in Practice

The academic journal Nueva Sociedad recently released an issue to promote the debate in Latin America on drug policy reform. TNI contributed with the paper "Drug policy reform in practice: Experiences with alternatives in Europe and the US".

Harvesting trees to make ecstasy drug

In June 2008, the Cambodian government set up a media show, burning 1,278 drums of safrole-rich oil—a key ingredient in the manufacture of the illicit recreational drug ecstasy—with the help of the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The amount of oil could have been used to make an estimated 245 million ecstasy tablets with a street value of $7.6 billion in Australia, the AFP claimed. While thick black plumes of smoke went into the air, Australian police officers, who had traveled to Cambodia to assist in the public burning, looked on wearing chemical suits and breathing apparatus.

Latin America needs a new drug policy approach
TNI's Martin Jelsma participated in the inaugural meeting of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy which revealed growing political support for alternative global drug policies on the continent.

TNI’s Martin Jelsma participated in the inaugural meeting in Rio de Janeiro of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy on April 30, 2008.

Money Laundering, Tax Evasion and Financial Regulation
'Paco' Under Scrutiny

Based on two studies carried out in the cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, this report examines the origin, characteristics and impact of the explosive increase in cocaine base paste in urban areas.

Smokeable cocaine and crack in Brazil

In Brazil, the first large crack consumption market appeared at the end of the 1980s in São Paulo and expanded during the 1990s reaching its peak halfway the decade. Crack use spread to other regions in Brazil during the 1990s, in particular to youngsters from low-income population in
urban areas. A 2002 survey among young street dwellers in all the state capitals revealed that crack had spread to 22 states.

The UNGASS Evaluation Process Evaluated

This briefing describes the fortunes of the draft resolution tabled by the EU to guide the process of evaluation of the implementation of political declaration and action plans of the 1998 UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in 2008.

El controvertido legado de la dirección del control internacional de drogas
Estrategia mundial antidrogas
Bases avanzadas de los Estados Unidos en Aruba y Curaçao