Talking Drugs
While the current international drug control conventions establish a global consensus, alternatives are increasingly being adopted: there is decriminalisation in place in over 30 countries, and more and more nation-states are exploring the legal regulation of cannabis and other drugs. With this in mind, the HIV Legal Network, based in Canada but working worldwide, has recently published their “Model Law” for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region. The report outlines an alternative model for drug regulation, providing guiding principles and recommendations for drug control, treatment and access, while prioritising people’s human dignity, rights and freedoms.
Published in English, Russian and Ukrainian, the law outlines:
- Principles for the regulation of drugs
- Rules for formulating drug lists in accordance with international drug control conventions
- Non-punitive measures to regulate and control the demand and supply of drugs
- How to ensure access to substances for medical and scientific purposes
- Regulation of non-commercial consumer unions and state-owned enterprises for drug production and distribution for recreational purposes
- Principles for harm reduction and prevention, including treatment and rehabilitation
TalkingDrugs spoke with Mikhail Golichenko, the lead author of the report, to understand its aims and ambitions.
Read the interview
How to Regulate Drugs in the EECA Region, According to Civil Society
