Events

future cannabis caribbean cnd64 thumbTwo years after the presentation of the 2018 CARICOM report “Waiting to Exhale - Safeguarding our future through responsible socio-legal policy on Marijuana” at the CND, this years’ side event the organizers would like to share insights on progress made, regarding the public policies on cannabis and the development of a medical cannabis industry in the Caribbean region.

Problematic use of stimulant drugs, with a particular focus on smokeable cocaine and methamphetamine, still lack of specific technical guides for effective health and social interventions. This session will share available knowledge that provides insightson research and programmes and projects that have been developed in Latin America and Asia to respond to this problem.

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The Budapest Group is a network of European NGOs working in the field of drug policy reform, including Harm Reduction International, the Global Drug Policy Program of the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Transform Drug Policy Foundation, the International Drug Policy Consortium (also hear public policy alumna Gloria Lai on the topic here), the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, and the Transnational Institute.

supply side hrEvidence shows that most drug control measures taken to limit the supply of plants used for illicit purposes are not only ineffective in reducing the total amount of drugs available on the global drugs market, but also fuel conflicts and impact negatively on the human rights of the communities involved. The same is true in urban settings where law enforcement tends to crack down on the most visible part of the drugs markets: users and dealers. In this session we will hear several examples from different settings in Latin America to showcase new insights on the subject. Presentations will focus on alternative policy proposals.

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The Cartagena Dialogue – organized by four governments and four civil society organizations, with the participation of 79 official and non-governmental delegates from three continents – was designed to strengthen the UNGASS 2016 process by identifying key ideas that help to review drug policies and by making steps to coordinate inter-regional efforts on the preparation, negotiation of the Outcome Document and on the UNGASS itself in April 2016.

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Subcategories

The Drug Law Reform project organizes a series of expert seminars, drug policy briefings and informal drug policy dialogues. The activities serve to cross-fertilise policy debates between countries and regions, stimulating participants to exchange experiences and learn lessons between policy officials, representatives from international agencies and nongovernmental experts and practitioners. Seminars are held under Chatham House Rule to ensure confidentiality and to allow participants a free exchange of ideas.

In 2004 the Transnational Institute (TNI) and the Andreas G. Papandreou Foundation (APF) started an Informal Drug Policy Dialogue. Purpose of the dialogues is to have an open-minded exchange of views on current dilemmas in international drug policy making and discuss strategies on how contradictions might be resolved. The meetings are guided by 'Chatham House Rule' to encourage a free exchange of thoughts and confidentiality. In 2007, TNI and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) started a Latin American Informal Drug Policy Dialogue.

Judges in Latin countries that face the consequences of prohibition in courts and prisons, propose a legislative reform and harmonization of penal responses clearly differentiated by the nature and seriousness of the offense. They ask that the penalties are proportionate and take into account the personal circumstances of the accused, and enable the implementation of alternative sentences.