MJ legalization initiatives and emergence of a coalition for drug policy reform in Latin American

In a significant development in the rapidly evolving drug policy debate, the governments of Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico issued on Monday October 1 a joint declaration demanding the UN revision of drug policy. In their declaration, the three countries denounce the failure of the current prohibitionist drug policies and request “That the United Nations [] exercise it´s leadership … to analyze all available options, including regulatory or market measures, in order to establish a new paradigm that prevents the flow of resources to organized crime organizations.” The three governments “invite Member States of the Organization of the United Nations to undertake very soon a consultation process” and call for “an international conference to allow the necessary decisions in order to achieve more effective strategies and tools with which the global community faces the challenge of drugs and their consequences.”

Read the entire declaration in Spanish, and its English translation

In another development, the Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas, head of the Grupo Salinas and of TV Azteca, advocated drug legalization at the annual meeting of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America in Washington DC. This is quite significant because Salinas is one of the major backers of President elect Pena Nieto, who will take office on December 1.

It seems that we are witnessing the emergence of a Latin American coalition for drug policy reform led by Guatemala, Colombia and Mexico. The active support of Colombia and Mexico would undoubtedly change the balance of power and turn the tables on the US.

In this context, a victory for one or more of the marijuana legalization initiatives in November could be game changer, especially as the number of medical marijuana states keeps growing, most of them solidly democrats or democrat-leaning. If reelected, Obama and the Democratic Party might finally realize that they have more to lose than to gain in pursuing their current hard-line policies. Meanwhile, an internal challenge to the prohibitionist drug policy would seriously weaken the US hands in the drug policy debate with its Latin American allies.

Success is definitively within reach in Colorado and Washington, but you support is urgently needed. First, if you live in Colorado, Oregon or Washington, you must of course go to the poll. But if you don’t there are many ways to support, starting with donations.

If you order “World War-D” on our website http://www.world-war-d.com/ before November 1st, 2012, we will donate $5.00 to the campaign of your choice. Just follow the instruction in your order confirmation email to select the campaign you wish to support.

You can also donate directly to the campaigns:
o   Colorado Amendment 64
o   Oregon Cannabis Tax Act (Measure 80)
o   Washington Initiative 502

2012 will be marked as a turning point in drug policy reform. Be part of history!
Thank you for your support

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”
Download a free 50 pages excerpt of “World war-D”
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward
Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood

LinkedIn: http://hk.linkedin.com/in/jdhywood

http://www.world-war-d.com/2012/10/03/declaracion-conjunta-de-los-gobiernos-de-colombia-guatemala-y-mexico/

http://www.vanguardia.com.mx/salinaspliegopideacamaradecomerciodeeulegalizardrogas-1386975.html

Drug legalization debate brought to the UN General Assembly

The 76^th UN assembly opened its doors in New York yesterday, Monday September 24, and for the first time ever, drug legalization will be brought up by no less than three Latin American heads of state.

Both Guatemalan and Colombian presidents have scheduled talks on Wednesday and both have already announced their intention to bring up the issue of global drug policy reform. Guatemalan president Perez Molina has been the most forthcoming, and announced his intention to ask for a global dialog about new approaches to the fight against drug trafficking, including drug legalization. He will also request a revision to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol. Perez Molina reiterated that the 50 years old war on drugs has failed and that it is time to look for more viable alternatives.

Colombian president Santos has been more ambiguous, and while he has been building up expectations for his upcoming talk at the UN, he also reminded that drug trafficking is punished by death penalty in many parts of the world. Let’s hope this is not what he means when he talk about “grabbing the bull by the horns”. More likely, Santos is contrasting the two extreme approaches of free-market and death sentencing to the current failed policies. While he has been hinting for a while his support for controlled regulation, so far, he has failed to take a resolute stand.

The case of Calderon is more puzzling. Yesterday, September 24, the Mexican president, whose term ends on December 1^st, conceded: “ Let’s be honest, I don’t see any [solution] other than the regulation of drugs in the global marketplace, starting here, in the United States.” (“Seamos honestos: no se me ocurre otra que no sea la regulación de las drogas en el mercado global, empezando por aquí, por Estados Unidos”). He then lamented the 60,000 deaths caused by his own militarization of the fight against narco-trafficking. Where was he for the past 6 years? Will Calderon join the exclusive but growing club of retired heads of states asking for drug policy reform? As it seems that his market approach epiphany dates back to 2011 at least, one wonders why he didn’t act on it while he was in position to do so. As for his successor Enrique Peña Nieto, he has been wavering back and forth and his position seems hard to pinpoint, but as recently as Monday September 4^th, he has been encouraged by Calderon himself to explore other alternatives, the codeword for legalization.

It is significant that the debate is brought up by three conservative, well-respected heads of state with impeccable credentials, representing countries that have paid a very high price in the war on drugs. While it is doubtful that the UN discourses about drug policy reform could result in any concrete action in the near future, it still marks a significant shift, especially as the UN Assembly is an opportunity for multilateral exploratory contacts that may coalesce down the line into a coalition of the willing to legalize. Santos will meet in New York with UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who advocated drug policy reform before assuming office, but backed off since then. The path to global drug policy reform must pass through the UN sooner or later. This could be the exploratory stage of the process.

Santos has repeatedly affirmed his support for controlled legalization, always adding the caveats that legalization can only work globally, that it cannot be implemented unilaterally, and that he doesn’t want to take the lead of a coalition for legalization. Still, someone will need to bite the bullet and take the lead sooner or later. Perez Molina has tried to assume this role since taking office last January, but Guatemala is a clout-less, small impoverished country emerging from a brutal civil war; it was considered a pariah state plagued by human right abuses and systemic corruption until very recently. Molina was met with staunch opposition by his immediate neighbors Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. Only Costa Rica responded favorably to Perez Molina’s initiative, who also got the ambiguous support of Colombia. Drug legalization was discussed at the April 15-16 OAS (Organization of American States) Summit in Cartagena, Colombia, but such discussion didn’t go much further than the acknowledgment that legalization is a valid point of discussion. As usual, a commission has been created to study drug policy alternatives, with a report scheduled for publication in June 2013; considering that the report will need the US and Canadian seal of approval, expectations shouldn’t be set too high.

Bottom-line: as Perez Molina is acutely aware, a Latin American coalition for drug policy reform won’t go anywhere without Colombia and Mexico onboard, and Latin America is the only part of the world where global drug policy reform can be initiated. Nevertheless, even if a lot remains to be done, we must acknowledge the astounding progress made since January of this year. A taboo has undoubtedly been broken; drug policy reform has become an almost mandatory topic at international meetings involving Latin America countries. Tiny Uruguay is debating the legalization of marijuana under state control; after having been dubbed the Switzerland of Latin America, Uruguay could very well become the Portugal of Latin America. The prospect of marijuana legalization in Uruguay has been met with surprisingly tepid opposition from the UN and the US, who might secretly welcome a sort of social and regulatory laboratory in this prosperous, non-strategic country with a long tradition of independence and great human rights records.

The November elections in the US could also be a game-changer if marijuana legalization initiatives are approved in Colorado and Washington State as polls seem to indicate. Such a move would most likely embolden Latin America.

Finally, we should keep our eyes open for the 22^nd Ibero-America Summit, November 16 – 17 2012 in Cadiz, hosted by Spain and attended by Portugal and most Latin American countries. Portugal and Spain having some of the most liberal drug policies in the world, this summit should offer a favorable environment for an open debate on drug policy reform. Scheduled after the November US election, it might embolden Colombia and Mexico to take more assertive positions, especially if marijuana legalization initiatives succeed in Washington and/or Colorado.

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

Download a free 50 pages excerpt of “World war-D”

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward

Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood

Become a better informed activist and support global drug policy reform! Order your own copy of “Word War-D”

The reference book on the War on Drugs and prohibitionism
A guide to psychoactive substances and substance abuse
A blueprint for global drug policy reform and controlled legalization

(Click here to order “World War-D” from Amazon)

If you agree with our views, please share this post to support our cause. Send it to at least 5 of your friends, post it on social networks, on your blogs, etc.

Drug legalization debate intensifies in Latin America

The state of drug policy Reform in Latin America

Latin America has been (and still is) the hardest-hit region by the War on Drugs. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that it is the part of the world with the most vigorous debate about drug policy reform as governments look for alternatives to the failed policies of the War on Drugs. The debate is hampered by the long-entrenched prohibitionist credo and extreme pressure from the big Northern neighbor. According to Mexican president Felipe Calderon though, there was only one consensus at the April 15^th Summit of the Americas: that the drug policy debate needs to be open to all alternatives.

Long confined to somewhat rarefied academic circles and the ultra-select ex-presidents club, the debate has now moved into the mainstream and is regularly capturing headlines; the taboo has been broken. Presidents don’t wait anymore for retirement before speaking out and discussion is finally leading to action. Even church leaders and Archbishops are joining the drug-reformist camp.

Last January, Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina famously threw a stone in the war on drug murky pound and has stuck to his guns ever since. He boldly threw the debate into the April OAS meeting and is now ready to present his controlled regulation proposal to the 76^th UN assembly in New York on September 26. He plans to use the platform to further advance the idea with other heads of state.

Meanwhile, the OAS (Organization of American States) will invest $2.4 million to investigate alternatives to the current fight against drug-trafficking and study the feasibility and the potential social and economic impact of legalization. A commission of experts will present its finding at the OAS General Assembly, in Antigua, close to Guatemala City, where the Perez Molina’s proposal will be discussed in details. It is of course anybody’s guess of what will be left of the committee’s recommendations after its report has been revised by the US and Canadian censors.

Tiny Uruguay, often dubbed the Switzerland of Latin America, threw itself on the map last June when President Jose Mujica and his government announced their intention to legalize marijuana under state control. The marijuana legalization project is now in the parliamentary pipeline and is being debated as we speak. What is remarkable here is that both the governing party (Frente Amplio) and its opposition (Partido Nacional) both agree on the failure of prohibitionism around the world. Of course, for people living in the US, it is unthinkable that democrats and republicans may agree on anything beyond blind allegiance to the failed War-on-Drugs policies. But if they agree on the diagnostic, the two parties diverge on the cure. It should be noted that marijuana regulation has been on the Uruguayan parliamentary agenda in one form or another for almost two years, with various schemes being debated, including legalizing the cultivation for personal use and the current proposal for state regulation.

With a population of barely 3.5 million, Uruguay has the highest per capita income, highest literacy rate and lowest crime rate in Latin America, but it had the recent misfortune to be located on one of the new transit routes to Europe via West Africa and has been somewhat plagued by an invasion of pasta (cocaine-base). No need to say, Mujica’s proposal is generating a vigorous debate within the country and raising eyebrows and getting close attention in the surrounding countries, especially Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.

Argentina and Brazil are debating decriminalization of all drugs for personal use. The Supreme Court of Argentina already ruled unconstitutional the criminalization of drug use in 2009. In Colombia, the capital city of Bogota is debating an ambitious harm reduction program based on substitution and maintenance. Most Latin American countries have decriminalized drug use and possession for personal use, or are in the process of doing it.

It seems that no regional meeting or summit can take place nowadays in this part of the world without drug policy debate on the agenda. The 22^nd Ibero-America Summit, November 16 – 17 2012 in Cadiz, Spain, bringing together the heads of state from Latin America, Spain and Portugal, is no exception. Drug policy and the fight narco-trafficking will be front and center at the meeting of interior ministers.

Drug policy reform is clearly on the move, and as I predicted in my book “world War-D”, Latin America is taking the lead. The battle is far from over though and there is a long and arduous road ahead of us. Although they have been toying with it for a while, the heavyweights, Colombia and Mexico, are still on the sideline. Mexico for one, is caught in a time warp since the July 1st presidential elections and up to the December official transfer of power. Caught in his own controversies, President-elect Enrique Peña Nieto has mostly kept silent, trying to stay out of the limelight and sticking to non-controversial issues.

As always, your support can make a difference. As a reminder, we have 2 ongoing actions:

Petitions of support of Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina http://signon.org/sign/support-guatemalan-president.

Petition in support of marijuana legalization in Uruguay: http://www.world-war-d.com/2012/06/22/petition-in-support-of-the-controlled-legalization-of-marijuana-in-uruguay/

If you haven’t done so yet, please sign these petitions. Help spread them through social networks and emails.

Thank you for your support.

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

Download a free 50 pages excerpt of “World war-D”

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward

Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood

Become a better informed activist and support global drug policy reform! Order your own copy of “Word War-D”

The reference book on the War on Drugs and prohibitionism
A guide to psychoactive substances and substance abuse
A blueprint for global drug policy reform and controlled legalization

(Click here to order “World War-D” from Amazon)

If you agree with our views, please share this post to support our cause. Send it to at least 5 of your friends, post it on social networks, on your blogs, etc.

Colorado, Oregon, Washington or … Uruguay, who will be first?

Will 2012 be the year?

Drug policy reform is moving along in the world and 2012 might very well be the year when marijuana will become legal in some part of the world, more precisely, somewhere in the Americas.

1st legal MJ: Colorado, Oregon, Washington or … Uruguay? — Colorado, Oregon, Washington or … Uruguay?

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica is plugging along with his marijuana legalization initiative, crisscrossing his country and the airwaves with his message, calling for a broad dialog on the issue. “We must stop looking the other way: The major problem is not marijuana, it is drug trafficking.” The project is being debated in the parliament, but no date has been set for a vote. http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2012/08/26/jose-mujica-el-problema-grave-es-el-narcotrafico-no-la-marihuana/. President Mujica received the support of various regional ex-presidents, with Cesar Gaviria of Colombia being his most vocal supporter, but was derided by ex-president Jorge Battle(of Uruguay), who on February 11, 2001, became the first head of state to call for drug legalization while still in office. Go figure. Any similarity with the Romneycare/Obamacare controversy is purely accidental of course. http://www.elobservador.com.uy/noticia/230808/batlle-proyecto-de-legalizacion-de-la-marihuana-es-para-el-libro-guiness-/

Ex-presidents Rodrigo Borja of Ecuador, and Ricardo Lagos of Chile have joined the club of anti-prohibitionist ex-heads of states. Ricardo Lagos Weber, son of the ex-president, even presented a proposal for the legalization of auto-cultivation and use of marijuana for medical purpose to the Chilean parliament, a proposal that was squarely rejected by president Sebastián Piñera http://america.infobae.com/notas/56195-Pinera-La-droga-es-muerte-dolor-sufrimiento

In the US, all three marijuana legalization initiatives on state ballots are gathering support left and right (mostly left though), including state legislators, the local democratic party and the NAACP.

Polls give a widening edge to the Colorado initiative with support growing to 47-38, and strong backing by independents. http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/08/co-voters-favor-assault-weapons-ban-legal-pot-civil-unions.html#mor Washington fares even better with 50-37 support. The more controversial Oregon initiative is not doing too good, with negative support at 43-46. http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-19599-mari_wanna.html . While Washington and Colorado are sitting on comfortable piles of cash, Oregon is broke and could use some help. You can pitch in at Oregon campaign donations www.octa2012.com.

Put your money where your mouth is, support the marijuana legalization initiatives in all three states, Colorado http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/, Oregon www.octa2012.com and Washington http://www.newapproachwa.org. You can also spread the theme song for Colorado prop 64 http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/news/listen-yes-64-theme-song.

Each of these initiatives has its strengths and weaknesses, and none of them is perfect, but they certainly are a big step in the right direction and deserve your support.

Action Alerts: Global drug policy reform and what you can do about it

Speak up! Stand-up! Get involved!

I created this section to keep you informed about actions that I initiated or that I find worthwhile and potentially impactful. Feel free to comment on this post to alert me to actions you are promoting. Be aware that I mostly focus on global actions or actions with broad potential:

New Actions:

Brazil: “Drug laws: it’s time to change”

Brazil launched an international campaign “Drug laws: it’s time to change” (Lei de Drogas: é preciso mudar), aiming to collect 1 millions signatures in favor of decriminalization of drug use in Brazil. http://www.eprecisomudar.com.br/ The petition is also available on AVAAZ: http://www.avaaz.org/po/brazil_drugs/?tta

To find out more: http://vivario.org.br/en/proposal-hoping-to-reform-brazilian-drug-law-is-presented-to-the-house-of-representatives-with-over-100000-supporters/

Mexico-US Peace Caravan — Sunday August 12, San Diego to September 10-12, Washington DC

Javier Sicilia and Mexico’s Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity are leading the Peace Caravan across the United States this summer, calling for an end to the drug war. The caravan began in San Diego on August 12 and is visiting two dozen U.S. cities on its way to Washington, DC. http://www.caravanforpeace.org/caravan/ The caravan is currently in Atlanta, heading for Louisville, KY, and Chicago over Labor Day. The grand finale is scheduled for September 10-12 in Washington DC. Check the route and mark you calendar if you live in the US: http://www.globalexchange.org/mexico/caravan/route

Marijuana legalization initiatives on the November 2012 ballot in the US

Help make history, put your money where your mouth is, support the marijuana legalization initiatives in all three states, Colorado http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/, Oregon www.octa2012.com and Washington http://www.newapproachwa.org. You can also spread the theme song for Colorado prop 64 http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/news/listen-yes-64-theme-song. Each of these initiatives has its strengths and weaknesses, and none of them is perfect, but they certainly are a big step in the right direction and deserve your support.

Medical marijuana initiatives 2012

Medical marijuana initiatives are on the November ballot as Question 3 in Massachusetts, and Arkansas. Question 3 has huge lead in the polls. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act is under far more pressure, polling at 47/46 and is being challenged by Christian conservatives groups. Arkansas could become the first state in the bible belt conservative South to pass medical MJ, although, admittedly, it is quite a long shot at this stage. Time for Bill Clinton to inhale?

Ongoing actions:

Guatemala

The time has come to renew our support for the Guatemalan leading role in drug policy reform. If you haven’t done so yet, please sign the petition: http://signon.org/sign/support-guatemalan-president. Help spread it through social networks and emails.

Uruguay

Uruguay needs our support more than ever. Share on social networks and email. http://www.world-war-d.com/2012/06/22/petition-in-support-of-the-controlled-legalization-of-marijuana-in-uruguay/

Obama-US

Obama needs to hear from you. Ask him to leave medical marijuana alone: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

Help the people fighting in the trenches:

Make a donation to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), the most credible drug legalization advocacy group in the world. Help support the amazing work they are doing. http://www.leap.cc/

To support a scientific approach to drug policy, please see the Beckley Foundation. The Beckley foundation opened a Guatemala office on July 3^rd with the active support of President Otto Perez Molina.

The International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) is a global network of 82 NGOs and professional networks that specialize in issues related to the production and use of controlled drugs.

There are many other organizations well worth your support, such as the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), and many others that I do not have space to list here. Feel free to add them in the comment section below.

Stay tuned and keep up the fight. Thank you for your support.

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

Download a free 42 pages excerpt of “World war-D”

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward

Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood

Become a better informed activist and support global drug policy reform! I do not ask for donations, I invite you to order a book filled with valuable information.

Order your own copy of “Word War-D”

The reference book on the War on Drugs and prohibitionism
A guide to psychoactive substances and substance abuse
A blueprint for global drug policy reform and controlled legalization

(Click here to order “World War-D” from Amazon)

If you agree with our views, please share this message to support our cause. Send this message to at least 5 of your friends, post it on social networks, on your blogs, etc.

Good news and bad news for drug policy reform

Uruguay & Guatemala pushes on with legalization, the US escalates crackdown, Oregon MJ qualifies for November ballot, Drug abuse down 50% in post-decriminalization Portugal

This week brought goods news and bad news for drug policy reform in the US and in Latin America:

Marijuana legalization project in Uruguay

The Uruguayan government is getting ready to send its marijuana legalization proposal to parliament for debate. That’s for the good news; the project is plugging along. The bad news is that so far only 24% of the Uruguay population support the proposal; President Mujica would like to get 60% approval to finalize the proposal, counting on widening support as the debates unfolds, a steep uphill educational battle ahead!

http://www.subrayado.com.uy/Site/noticia/14453/mujica-enviara-al-parlamento-proyecto-para-legalizar-marihuana

President Mujica announced today that he will tour the country to explain his proposal, emphasizing that his objective is to reduce drug-related crime. http://www.infobae.com/notas/659981-Pepe-Mujica-ratifico-que-buscara-legalizar-la-marihuana-en-Uruguay.html

Uruguay needs our support. Underneath is the link to the petition in support of the marijuana legalization project. Share on social networks and email. http://www.world-war-d.com/2012/06/22/petition-in-support-of-the-controlled-legalization-of-marijuana-in-uruguay/

Guatemala moving ahead on drug legalization debate

In Guatemala, President Perez Molina is moving ahead. On July 3, he became the first serving head of state to sign the Beckley Public Letter, calling for a paradigm shift in drug policy, joining seven former head of states Kofi Annan, and a slate of high-profile personalities. President Molina also launched the Beckley Foundation Guatemala, in order to assist in the development of new and more effective drug policies. Guatemala wants to build the case for a regional coalition for drug policy reform, a long a tedious, but necessary process. http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/2012/07/02/president-otto-perez-molina-launches-beckley-foundation-in-guatemala/

At the impulse of Guatemala, drug legalization will be discussed in more details at the upcoming SICA meeting of regional heads of states. http://m.laprensagrafica.com/2012/07/16/legalizacion-de-drogas-de-nuevo-a-debate/

In El Salvador, where the Catholic Church is a powerful force, the Archbishop of San Salvador, José Luis Escobar, called for a deepening debate on legalization during a press-conference on July 8. http://www.s21.com.gt/internacionales/2012/07/08/aboga-debatir-despenalizacion-droga

Marijuana legalization on the ballot in Oregon, Fed escalates crackdown on medical mj

In the US, Oregon is the third state to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot in November, joining Colorado and Washington State. http://www.katu.com/news/local/Marijuana-initiative-qualifies-for-Oregon-ballot-162446216.html

Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Cory Booker joins a small but steadily growing group of vocal anti-drug war politicians. It looks like anti-prohibitionism is not such a vote-buster anymore. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/cory-booker-drug-war_n_1676008.html

But Obama doesn’t seem to be getting the message, as medical marijuana crack-downs continue and even escalate, with Harborside, the largest dispensary in the world, despite the protests from Oakland city leaders. It is very hard to figure out why Obama, an avid pot smoker during his college-years, embarked on such a losing proposition. The crack-downs will not gain him any support in the center, while it certainly demobilizes and antagonizes some of its most faithful supporters, youths and liberals, who gathered in droves to support him in 2008, but will stay home next November. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-morgan/obama-marijuana-harborside-health-center_b_1678701.html

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/13/local/la-me-oakland-marijuana-20120713

Ask Obama to leave medical marijuana alone, as he promised in 2008: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

And in case you needed it, here is another illustration of the total idiocy of prohibition: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/13/mexican-drug-cartels-spreading-influence-graphic/

Meanwhile, Portugal has seen a 50% drop in drug abuse since the decriminalization of drug use and widespread adoption of harm reduction measures in 2001; drug-related crime dropped even further. http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/07/05/ten-years-after-decriminalization-drug-abuse-down-by-half-in-portugal/. If you read Portuguese: http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/detalhe/noticias/nacional/saude/a-toxicodependencia-esta-a-diminuir For more detailed analysis: http://academiajurisprudenciapr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Puerto-Rico-Marzo-06-2012.pdf. Need more evidence than prohibition doesn’t work?

And in case you needed it, here is another illustration of the total idiocy of prohibition: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/13/mexican-drug-cartels-spreading-influence-graphic/

New Action: Mark your calendar

Mark your calendar and get ready to participate in what could become one of the largest event for drug policy reform: Javier Sicilia and Mexico’s Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity will lead a caravan across the United States this summer, calling for an end to the drug war. The caravan will begin in San Diego this August and will visit two dozen U.S. cities on its way to Washington, DC. http://www.globalexchange.org/mexico/caravan

Ongoing activist actions:

Uruguay needs our support more than ever. Share on social networks and email. http://www.world-war-d.com/2012/06/22/petition-in-support-of-the-controlled-legalization-of-marijuana-in-uruguay/

Obama needs to hear from you. Ask him to leave medical marijuana alone: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

Stay tuned and keep up the fight. Thank you for your support.

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
Author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

Download a free 42 pages excerpt of “World war-D”

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward

Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood

Become a better informed activist and support global drug policy reform! I do not ask for donations, I invite you to order a book filled with valuable information.

Order your own copy of “Word War-D”

The reference book on the War on Drugs and prohibitionism
A guide to psychoactive substances and substance abuse
A blueprint for global drug policy reform and controlled legalization

(Click here to order “World War-D” from Amazon)

If you agree with our views, please share this message to support our cause. Send this message to at least 5 of your friends, post it on social networks, on your blogs, etc.

Update on drug policy reform in Latin America

“Mujica says that while drug addiction is a medical problem, drug trafficking is an unwinnable police problem.

Uruguay would be the world’s first nation to sell marijuana directly.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/uruguays-president-says-his-plan-envisions-legalizing-only-marijuana-no-other-illicit-drugs/2012/07/05/gJQALgpHQW_story.html

Drug policy reform on the move: pressure building in Uruguay; Guatemala may ready another surprise; Mexican go the polls

Following the announcement on June 20 of a project to legalize and control marijuana in Uruguay, a vigorous debate has been started with proponents and opponents furbishing their weapons. The initial project of creating a national registry of users seems to have been shelved, and the idea of state-run production and retail seems to have been ruled out in favor of closely monitored private businesses. A proposal for legalization of cultivation for personal use might be folded into the new legalization proposal.

“The most important is to have a debate; this debate will take place until the law is approved, and will keep going after that, as we will need to regulate” declared Julio Calzada, secretary general of the National Drugs Board.

The international media has been generally supportive and the news have been welcomed, with the Time wondering if the rest of the world should follow.

Not everybody is pleased of course. Yury Fedotov, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs on Crime told reporters: “Should it happen of course that would be a serious violation of the Single convention and Uruguay is a party to this convention… I’m also aware that the President of the International Narcotic Control Board is planning an urgent mission to Uruguay to discuss the situation with the authorities of this country.” There is no official reaction from the US administration; drug czar Gil Kerlikowske has remained silent so far. While Guatemalan president Perez Molina warmly greeted the news, Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos, who had appeared to be favorable to open drug policy debate, was highly critical of the Uruguayan move. The Uruguayan debate must be followed closely in neighboring Brazil and Argentina where a debate on drug policy in ongoing, with Brazil scheduled to vote in July on decriminalization of possession for personal use of all drugs.

Uruguay needs our support. If you haven’t done so yet, I urge you to sign the petition in support of the marijuana legalization project in Uruguay.

If you signed already, help to promote it. Share on social networks and email.
http://www.world-war-d.com/2012/06/22/petition-in-support-of-the-controlled-legalization-of-marijuana-in-uruguay/

We need a success story in MJ legalization and Uruguay can be it. They will get a lot pressure from the UN and the US government. Let’s give them support from people from the US and everywhere. Uruguay is opening the gates and can be the very first of many. Brazil and Argentine have been debating their own drug policies for a while, they could be next. This could be the beginning of a domino effect. Uruguay is calling on the international community to consider marijuana legalization. Let’s respond to them.

In other parts of the world:

Guatemala seems to get ready for a major announcement about drug policy reform. I will keep you posted. It is time to revive our Guatemala petition http://signon.org/sign/support-guatemalan-president that had been dormant since the April 14-15 OAS summit. Please sign it if you haven’t done so, and start spreading it around you. We should have more news next week.

Governor Cuomo’s marijuana decriminalization bill was killed by his GOP opponent in NY State, but Rahm Emmanuel in Chicago handily sailed his own bill through. This would be relatively insignificant if Chicago was not Obama’s political base and if Rahm Emmanuel had not been Obama’s first chief of staff, almost his right harm. Now that his buddy Rahm Emmanuel decriminalized MJ in Chicago, and fresh from his SCOTUS healthcare victory, will Obama finally have his Marijuana moment? http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/13/barack-obama-marijuana-legalisation-election

The International Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Heads of Specialized National Agencies Against the World Drug Problem was held in Peru on June 25-26. See also http://www.canzarperu2012.com/

President elections will be held in Mexico this coming Sunday, July 1. All three major candidates have stayed away from the drug war issue throughout the campaign, avoiding the topic like a hot potato as the cartel violence keeps tearing the country apart. As the PRI who ruled the country for 70 years gets ready to regain the reins of power, will it resume its cozy relationship with the drug cartels? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/23/mexico-elections-drugs-war

Jeffrey Dhywood
Investigative writer,
author of “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/worldward

Follow me on Twitter: @JDhywood

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Apoya la iniciativa de legalización de mariguana en Uruguay

[emailpetition id=”2″]

Click here for English version

Por favor, agregue su nombre para apoyar la legalización de la marihuana en Uruguay, y haga clic en la parte inferior del formulario para firmar.

También puedes twittear a:

Presidencia de Uruguay: @SCpresidenciauy
Senador Jorge Larrañaga, @guapolarranaga, líder de Alianza Nacional
Pedro Bordaberry @PedroBordaberry, presidente del CEN Colorado y quien fuera ministro de Industria y Turismo en el gobierno de Jorge Batlle, primer jefe de estado en proponer la legalización de las drogas en 2000

Para leer más sobre la iniciativa de ley: http://www.presidencia.gub.uy/wps/wcm/connect/Presidencia/PortalPresidencia/Comunicacion/comunicacionNoticias/gabinete-seguridad-presento-paquete-15-medidas-promover-convivencia-ciudadana

La declaración a medios de la presidencia uruguaya: http://medios.presidencia.gub.uy/jm_portal/2012/noticias/NO_E582/Estrategia.pdf

Para leer más sobre el Presidente Mujica: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mujica

Conviértete en un activista mejor informado!
Apoya la reforma global de la política de drogas!
Pida su propia copia de “World War-D”, el libro de referencia sobre el prohibicionismo, sustancias psicoactivas y la reforma de la política de drogas (disponible solamente en Ingles por el momento)!

Jeffrey Dhywood

Autor de investigación y análisis de “World War D – The Case against prohibitionism, roadmap to controlled re-legalization”

Twitter: @JDhywood

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldward

Category: marijuana legalization

MJ legalization initiatives and emergence of a coalition for drug policy reform in Latin American

Drug legalization debate brought to the UN General Assembly

Drug legalization debate intensifies in Latin America

The state of drug policy Reform in Latin America

Further readings:

Colorado, Oregon, Washington or … Uruguay, who will be first?

Will 2012 be the year?

Action Alerts: Global drug policy reform and what you can do about it

Speak up! Stand-up! Get involved!

New Actions:

Brazil: “Drug laws: it’s time to change”

Mexico-US Peace Caravan — Sunday August 12, San Diego to September 10-12, Washington DC

Marijuana legalization initiatives on the November 2012 ballot in the US

Medical marijuana initiatives 2012

Ongoing actions:

Guatemala

Uruguay

Obama-US

Help the people fighting in the trenches:

Good news and bad news for drug policy reform

Uruguay & Guatemala pushes on with legalization, the US escalates crackdown, Oregon MJ qualifies for November ballot, Drug abuse down 50% in post-decriminalization Portugal

Marijuana legalization project in Uruguay

Guatemala moving ahead on drug legalization debate

Marijuana legalization on the ballot in Oregon, Fed escalates crackdown on medical mj

New Action: Mark your calendar

Ongoing activist actions:

Update on drug policy reform in Latin America

Drug policy reform on the move: pressure building in Uruguay; Guatemala may ready another surprise; Mexican go the polls

Apoya la iniciativa de legalización de mariguana en Uruguay