What a year it’s been. Litigation, legal regulation, anniversaries, confessions, people in high places talking about their drug use and political leadership drew the headlines. We launched our cornerstone report; Getting to tomorrow. And overall things are beginning to change in the global drug policy arena. One can clearly see the cracks appearing in the old international regime that has stifled the discussion of alternatives to the war on drugs for over 40 years. Now countries are beginning to look for approaches that are less punitive for people who use drugs and more targeted on the violent actors in our communities. A better drug policy is possible and we are building it, but we need your help.
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Wishing you season’s greetings and a happy new year.
Here we go! Our Top Ten Drug Policy Moments in 2013
10. The Organization of American States (OAS) ignites hemispheric dialogue on alternative approaches to the drug problem in the Americas.
[The Americas]-In may the OAS launched two reports on the Drug Problem in the Americas. Inspired by the vigorous discussion on drug policy at the Summit of the Americas in 2012 these reports lay out the extent of the drug problem in the hemisphere. The reports also provided a set of scenarios for the next 15 years envisioning ways to reduce violence related to the drug trade and harm from substance use. We were involved in creating the scenarios along with 46 other drug policy representatives from across the hemisphere. We commend the leadership shown by the OAS in pushing for a dialogue on alternatives. They have formalized a discussion that was already taking place. At the international level it’s a big question that they have dared to ask: Is there a better way to reduce the harms from the business of illegal drugs in the hemisphere and better protect those people who use drugs from disease, dependence and overdose death?
9. Canada implements mandatory minimum sentences for drugs just as US Attorney General calls the practice and policy “broken”
[North America]- In a speech to the American Bar Association last August,US Attorney General Eric Holder called mandatory minimums “draconian” and asked Congress to reform a system which can “breed disrespect” for itself. “When applied indiscriminately, they do not serve public safety. They –- and some of the enforcement priorities we have set –- have had a destabilizing effect on particular communities, largely poor and of color. And, applied inappropriately, they are ultimately counterproductive” Kudos to Holder and his staff for taking the leadership to stop this nonsense. Meanwhile here in Canada…
8. Insite celebrates 10 years, 2 million injections, and no deaths
[Canada] – In September Insite, Canada’s first sanctioned supervised injection site celebrated 10 years of serving the Downtown Eastside community in Vancouver. 10 years, 2 million visits and zero deaths. Need we say more? Kudos to PHS Community Services Society, Vancouver Coastal Health, City of Vancouver, Government of BC, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and the people of British Columbia for supporting this life saving innovation in health care. We ask: Where are the other sites across Canada?
7. Federal government continues to try and thwart life-saving harm reduction programs
[Canada] – For reasons that defy us, it is clear that the federal government is doing it’s best to thwart the expansion of life saving services. Bill C -65, (later renamed C-2) the so called Respect for Communities Act sets out 26 additional requirements that must be met before the Federal Minister of Health will entertain a decision on approval of Canada’s next supervised injection site. Bill C-2 is another measure intended to stall the expansion of life saving programs that have been shown to improve the lives of people who use drugs. With a mountain of peer reviewed papers demonstrating the positive impacts of injection sites and a unanimous Supreme Court of Canada decision supporting Insite one has to wonder what the real agenda is. We will continue to call for action in Canada to scale up these services.
6. Canadian NGO sues federal government over lack of needle exchange in prisons
[Canada] – On September 25th, 2012, former federal prisoner Steve Simons, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Prisoners with HIV/AIDS Support Action Network, the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network and Canadian AIDS Information Exchange filed a lawsuit in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, which claims the federal government is violating prisoners’ rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by failing to provide access to sterile injection equipment in prison. This has led to rates of HIV and HCV that are, respectively, 15 and 39 times higher in prison than they are in the community. For more information about the case, see www.prisonhealthnow.ca and this event post for an upcoming public panel on this issue.
5. Washington State and Colorado introduce regulatory schemes for the production and sale of cannabis to adults.
[United States] – In October the Washington State Liquor Control Board adopted rules for the implementation of a legal regulated market in cannabis for adults. These rules serve as the basis for Washington’s newly created adult use marijuana market and are the result of 10 months of research and public input. Voters of the state voted to legalize cannabis in November of 2012. Colorado is also implementing its regulatory system as we write this.
4. Providence Health Care and PIVOT Legal Society sue federal government over special access to diacetylmorphine
[Canada] – Developing policy through the courts is not advised but there comes a time when it is the only way to get things done. On November 13th Providence Health Care, PIVOT Legal Society and five patients in the SALOME clinical trial launched a constitutional challenge in the wake of the federal government’s decision to prohibit the prescription of diacetylmorphine (heroin) to people with chronic addictions. Providence Health Care President and CEO Dianne Doyle announced the legal action with the aim of reversing a decision taken by federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose that prevents doctors from giving prescription heroin to patients with severe heroin addiction as part of a treatment regime. “Diacetylmorphine treatment, or heroin-assisted treatment, is a proven treatment option,” said Doyle. Why isn’t Canada scaling up drug treatment priorities?
3. Uruguay makes history by becoming the first country in the world to legalize the production, sale and use of cannabis by adults.
[Uruguay] -There is no contest for the award for political leadership in drug policy in 2013. Hands down it goes to President José Mujica of Uruguay who persisted in the face of significant opposition to deliver groundbreaking legislation that creates the first legal regulated market for cannabis at a country level in the world, a market that will be under state control. On December 10th the Uruguayan Senate voted to adopt a bill that will begin the implementation of the cannabis regulatory system. Asked why Mujica was so clear about moving in this direction he said: “The traditional approach hasn’t worked. Someone has to be the first to try this.”
2. Sensible BC proposes innovative amendment to the BC Policing Act to lighten up enforcement on mere possession of small amounts of cannabis.
[Canada] – Congratulations to the folks at Sensible BC for putting together a creative and innovative campaign to reduce the harm of the criminalization of cannabis possession this year. You came up short but you certainly made your point and set the stage for the next stage towards the inevitable change in cannabis policy in Canada. December 9th 2013 marked the final day of the 90 day Sensible BC campaign as they turned in 200,000 signatures from BC voters who supported new legislation to move towards the decriminalization and then regulation. The legislation, called the Sensible Policing Act is an amendment to the BC Police Act, which redirects all police in the province from using any police resources, including member time, on investigations, searches, seizures, citations, arrests or detentions related solely to simple possession of cannabis. In essence, if implemented it would have decriminalized the possession of cannabis in BC without actually changing the federal law. By the end of the campaign over 4500 volunteers were seeking signatures across the province. Thanks to all of them for working towards a better drug policy for BC and Canada.
1. Canadians take the gloves off when talking about substance use
[Canada] – Seems like all year! We think the number one drug policy moment in Canada this year is: Canadians talking about drug use! Thanks to politicians like Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, Canada got into high gear this year. Justin admitted smoking pot recently even while a sitting MP. Rob Ford – well we really don’t want to go in the details but he admitted smoking pot, “lots of it” as well as using crack cocaine. Canadians piled on. They blamed, they shamed, attacked and showed compassion, argued, vilified, reflected on their own drug problems, lined up addictions experts on talk shows and generally demonstrated the full range of responses that many people who use drugs experience every day – the good the bad and the ugly.
It’s an important moment for Canada. We know we have a drug policy problem and it shows. This January, before all the New Year resolutions have faded, join us as we, along with our partners across the country, ramp up a discussion on the future of drugs and drug policy. Keep an eye out, as there will be many opportunities to get involved.
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