We are delighted to have a chapter in the recently published book, 'Drug Science and British Drug Policy', which explores the failure of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA), the law which established drug prohibition and the criminalisation of people who use and sell drugs in the UK. The experiences of Anyone's Child [...]
Legal regulation of non-medical cannabis is quickly becoming a reality across the world. As countries introduce different regulatory models with varying restrictions over how cannabis is produced, sold and consumed, there are valuable lessons to be gleaned about how cannabis can be regulated most effectively, as well as showing where policy design can potentially [...]
This blog is written by Anyone’s Child coordinator, Mary Ryder. Mary contributed to the Truth Commission’s work on drugs as part of her PhD research which investigates drug policy and armed conflict in Colombia. The Colombian Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition (the Truth Commission) published its final report in June [...]
Almost a century of evidence demonstrates that punitive, enforcement-led approaches to drugs have failed everywhere they have been tried. Prohibition and criminalisation were supposed to eradicate drug markets, deter people from using drugs, prevent harm and protect people - but they have done the opposite of that. Today, despite ballooning drug enforcement budgets, expanding drug [...]
This blog was written by Ben Twomey, Head of Policy for the National Youth Advocacy Service and former drugs policy lead for three Police and Crime Commissioners, in West Midlands, Warwickshire and County Durham. He has also led on related issues including stop and search, organised crime, youth engagement and homelessness. Article originally published [...]
This blog is adapted from our report ‘Reforming drug policies to reduce trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable people,’ to explore the intersections between drugs, women and exploitation, on International Women’s Day 2021. To mark International Women’s Day 2021, we want to highlight women’s stories which expose the gendered dynamics of prohibition and criminalisation, [...]
This blog was written by Anyone's Child member, Anne-Marie. In 2013 I lost my only child, Martha Fernback, at the age of 15 to an accidental ecstasy overdose. That warm July day gave nothing away as to what was about to unfold as my time as a mother abruptly came to an end. [...]
The blog is in response to Home Secretary Priti Patel's Telegraph piece 'People are Dying,' from Anyone's Child member, Pat. Having failed to curb rising drug-related deaths in the UK, the government has now pledged a £148million package to clamp down on county-lines and drugs supply and prevent addiction. While more money is very [...]
As the US saw four more states legalise recreational cannabis (bringing the total to 15) we caught up with Seun Adedeji, CEO of Elev8 Cannabis to tell us his story and why he believes that social equity* needs to be the heart of cannabis legalisation. The views expressed in this blog are those of [...]
On 10 September 2020, we organised a webinar to discuss the interactions between drug policies and the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable people. We were delighted to be joined by guest speakers; Neil Woods, author of bestseller 'Good Cop: Bad War' and Chairperson of Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP UK); Coletta Youngers, Senior Fellow at [...]
