On October 2, 2008, the Beckley Foundation launched in the House of Lords its Global Cannabis Commission Report, an authoritative guide to the effects of cannabis, the policies that control its use, and recommendations for policy reform. A team of leading drug policy analysts prepared an overview of the latest scientific evidence surrounding cannabis and the policies that control its use.
In reviewing the evidence, the authors come to some striking conclusions, many of which challenge the received wisdom concerning cannabis:
The report has been prepared for the UNGASS review process in 2009. It will provide policy-makers at national and international level with all the relevant facts to help them make better informed decisions. The report did not receive much media attention. Which is a shame. It contains the most up to date data to spark off a much needed debate.
At least The Independent tried to initiate a discussion in a question and answer report of the event, see: The Big Question: Is it time the world forgot about cannabis in its war against drugs? In The Guardian, Duncan Campbell concluded that the report contains much that would aid the debate, and urged politicians to "experiment" with it.
Read the press release
Download the full report or the conclusions and recommendations
The Beckley Foundation prepared an executive summary of the report, see: An Overview of Cannabis Policy: Moving Beyond Stalemate, Beckley Briefing Paper 17, October 2008