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Reform Options
Most countries use the criminal law to prohibit the possession,
production and sale of some drugs (cannabis, heroin and cocaine, for
example) for non-medical and, sometimes, medical purposes. This
scheme is sometimes described
as "criminal prohibition" or simply "prohibition". This
web page identifies
models that have been proposed to modify or replace this prohibitionist
approach. Links
to additional reform models will be added as we become aware of
them. Other
parts of
the Canadian
Foundation for Drug Policy web site deal with why reform of our current approach
is needed.
We welcome suggestions for additional links. Please send
suggestions to eoscapel@cfdp.ca.
-- Eugene Oscapella, Canadian
Foundation for Drug Policy, Ottawa
Reform of Domestic
(National) Law and Policies
Reform
of International Law and Policies
Reform
of Domestic (National) Laws and Policies
- February 2008: Health Officers Council of British Columbia
releases its paper, Regulation of Psychoactive
Substances in Canada: Seeking a Coherent Public Health Approach:
"Every year, psychoactive substances (alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs,
and certain prescription drugs) cost Canadians over $40 billion. They
are linked to more than 47,000 deaths and many thousands more injuries
and disabilities. Inadequate, inappropriate, and ineffective regulation
of these substances contributes in large measure to this terrible toll.
Conversely, adequate, appropriate, and effective regulation holds great
promise to protect public health and reduce this devastating
situation."
- December 2006: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
releases Model
Law on Drug Use and HIV/AIDS
- October 16, 2005: Health Officers
Council of British Columbia releases discussion paper, A Public Health Approach to Drug
Control in Canada
(October 2005). From the paper's abstract: "Studies
support public health harm reduction strategies, but their
implementation is hindered by the criminal status of drugs in popular
use. Current conditions are right to enter into serious public
discussions regarding the creation of a regulatory system for currently
illegal drugs in Canada, with better control and reduced harms to be
achieved by management in a tightly controlled system. The
removal of criminal penalties for drug possession for personal use, and
placement of these currently illegal substances in a tight regulatory
framework, could both aid implementation of programs to assist those
engaged in harmful drug use, and reduce secondary unintended
drug-related harms to society that spring from a failed
criminal-prohibition approach. This would move individual harmful
illegal drug use from being primarily a criminal issue to being
primarily a health issue."
- June 8, 2005: City of Vancouver report, Preventing Harm from Psychoactive
Substance Use,
made public in preparation for June 14, 2005, meeting of Vancouver City
Council. To see the report, click here.
Among the many recommendations in the report: "This plan recommends
that regulation of currently illegal substances should be considered
with the goals of increasing our ability to prevent harm to individuals
and communities from substance use and of eliminating the involvement
of organized crime in these drug markets. We propose that the Federal
Government proceed in this direction by first tackling the regulation
of cannabis, next evaluating the results and finally moving
incrementally to bring more currently illegal substances into
regulatory frameworks." For related news story, click
here.
- Report of the Senate Special Committee on Ilegal Drugs
(2002): Cannabis: Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy (Volume
III) (especially pp. 607-26)
- September 4, 2002: The Senate Special Committee on
Illegal Drugs releases its report on cannabis. Among other
recommendations, the report called for cannabis to be legalized and
regulated, and for criminal records of those convicted of cannabis
possession in the past to be erased. The report and
summary are on
the Committee web
site. To see testimony and briefs by Canadian
Foundation for Drug
Policy founding members before the committee, click here.
- The Community Audits
and Initiatives Project (an ongoing project). "Here you will
find a) the exact wording of many of the United States' most successful
local drug policy audits and municipal medical cannabis and personal
possession
de-prioritization initiatives; b) much of the research used to justify
a shifting
of drug policy enforcement priorities; c) links to related press
coverage;
and d) lists of supportive organizations."
Reform
of International Law and Policies
Updated:Tuesday, 18-Mar-2008 14:44:45 PDT|
Accessed:41563times