ISSDP

The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy

The International Society for the Study of Drug Policy

Bibliography: Interventions – Law Enforcement

Impact of COVID-19 on drug markets, use, harms and drug services in the community and prisons

The results from this study provide a first glimpse into new developments emerging both during and in response to the pandemic, and which could have important implications for the future (EMCDDA)

Death Penalty For Drug Offences: Global Overview 2020

This report, our tenth on the subject, continues our work of providing regular updates on legislative, policy and practical developments related to the use of capital punishment for drug offences, a practice which is a clear violation of international law (Harm Reduction International)

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021: rehabilitation factsheet

Rather than continuing to send [offenders] back and forth to prison – doing the same thing but expecting a different result – we instead want to empower the sentencing system to use more effective community sentencing to get them off drugs and into the jobs that we know can lead them to a better life (Home Office)

Report 12 of the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The twelfth report covers around 56 per cent of the population, which equates to about 13.2 million people. Fifty-six wastewater treatment plants across Australia participated in the August 2020 collection, which monitored the consumption of 13 substances (Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission)

Steps Toward Evidence-Based Regulation of Controlled Cannabinoids in Non-Medicinal CBD Products

Steps Toward Evidence-Based Regulation of Controlled Cannabinoids in Non-Medicinal CBD Products addresses the most pressing questions that precede the formulation of Government policy on cannabidiol (CBD), making the crucial recommendation of a medically considered lower limit for THC content in non-controlled cannabinoid-containing products; the “zero-threshold” (e Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group)

Groundbreaking drug decriminalization law goes into effect today

people will no longer be arrested and jailed for possession of small amounts of drugs, thanks to Oregonians who voted overwhelmingly for ballot Measure 110. Oregon is the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize simple possession of all drugs (Health Justice Recovery Alliance)

Drug offences sentencing guidelines revised as offending changes

A comprehensive package of revised sentencing guidelines for drugs offences that reflect a change in the nature of offending and additional offences in relation to psychoactive substances has been published today by the Sentencing Council following consultation (Sentencing Council, UK)

Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission report

The Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission is an independent, bipartisan entity with a two-fold mission: evaluate a range of US counternarcotics programs in the Americas and then make recommendations to improve them

Cannabis farms are a modern slavery ‘blind spot’ for UK police, study suggests

Migrants arrested for tending plants in the flats, houses and attics where cannabis is grown in bulk are often victims of trafficking and “debt bondage” – yet many are not recognised as such by police, according to a new study (Cambridge University)

Drugs, Prisons and ‘Unintended Consequences’ – Does drug interdiction drive drug-related harms?

The availability and use of drugs in prisons cannot be separated from wider drug policy. The criminalisation of drugs and the people who use or sell them fuels mass incarceration in many countries, and in doing so creates large profitable markets for drugs behind bars (Gdpo)

Drugs, Prisons and ‘Unintended Consequences’ – Does drug interdiction drive drug-related harms?

If governments are truly serious about addressing drug use and reducing drug-related harm, they must move away from enforcement-focussed responses, and instead implement laws and policies that reduce the number of people in prison for drug-related offences, and to provide comprehensive harm reduction programmes for people in detention (Global Drug Policy Observatory)

Family Drug and Alcohol Courts under Covid-19: A Practice Briefing

This briefing examines how the nine existing FDACs across England are adapting to service delivery during the current crisis. It highlights the practical challenges facing practitioners, judges and families, and shines a light on specific solutions that have been developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic (Centre for Justice Innovation)

Cannabis and Capitalism: The Question of Ownership Within Drug Policy Reform

The idea of certain drugs as bad, dangerous and requiring prohibition by law it is a relatively recent social phenomenon, with the first international laws prohibiting drugs only appearing at the start of the twentieth century. Since then, the so-called War on Drugs has become a huge driver for the worlds ever-growing prison population, with more than 1 in 8 of all prisoners currently incarcerated in British prisons serving their sentences for drug offences (Common Wealth)

ISSDP on Bluesky

Join us on Bluesky

Contact ISSDP

For further information about the ISSDP, including membership queries, please contact us.

Please Share ISSDP