Some UK Police & Crime commissioners have called for cannabis to be made a Class A drug In this interview I shoot down this ridiculous idea, and try to map out a better way forward t.co/VXiARjVEaG

*Does drug criminalisation increase harmful drug use? A scoping review* 'these findings allow for the preliminary conclusion that drug criminalization may increase use among some population segments' New paper in the 'Drug Science Policy & Law' journal journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

'Making a drug class A will deter use & help keep communities safe' A familiar Government narrative - but true or false? Cocaine has been class A for 60 years - hows that worked out? Here's a graph showing the 100x increase in cocaine-related deaths over the last 30 years 1/

"U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day", according to @reuters.com. As the article states, this would be "a major win" for the alcohol industry. www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Exclusive: US to drop guidance to limit alcohol to one or two drinks per day, sources say

U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, according to three sources familiar with the matter, in what could be a major win for an industry threatened by heightened scrutiny of alcohol's health effects.

reuters.com

🚨NEW BLOG🚨 *Harm reduction as a form of resistance* The amazing plenary speech by Michelle Wazan, from @Skoun_org in Lebanon, at the @HRInews #HRI25 conference in Bogota last month transformdrugs.org/blog/michell...

Harm reduction as a form of resistance | Transform

transformdrugs.org

The UN Coca Leaf Review and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: Can the @WHO Meet the Moment? Brilliant new long read explainer in the @TNInstitute *Coca Chronicles* series - by @MartinJelsmaTNI & John Walsh from @WOLA_org www.tni.org/en/article/t...

The UN Coca Leaf Review and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: Can the WHO Meet the Moment? | Transnational Institute

Will the WHO confront its colonial legacy and right a historic wrong? The critical review of the coca leaf could transform global drug policy and marks an important moment for Indigenous rights and tr...

tni.org

Heartbroken to hear about Peter Krykant. We had many adventures, scientific and ridiculous, here and far away. It was an honour to evaluate your van, the first UK drug consumption room, and I'll never stop talking about it. Thinking of his boys whom he loved so very much and all who loved him

Fascinating session at @CannRegulators assoc conference on novel & new cannabinoids - including an 'alphabet soup' of new semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as Delta8 & HHC nominally legalised in the US by the 2019 Farm bill & widely sold, largely unregulated, across the US 1/🧵

I'm in Denver, Colorado this week for a triple whammy of cannabis policy events.... Quick thread (discussion on policy to follow as they come up....) 1/🧵

Looking forward to reading 'Psychedelic Capitalism' by Jamie Brownlee & Kevin Walby, which just arrived on my doormat It explores the renaissance 'in the context of corporate capture, medicalization, and the war on drugs' See this Talkingdrugs blog for an overview👇 t.co/XxwX2P6xWq

We are back in Bristol this weekend at @bdpbristol.bsky.social to deliver our drug checking service! Substances can be dropped off anytime between 12-7pm. You are welcome to call in to find out more about drug checking, the substances tested here in Bristol and around the UK, and related info.

The Czech house of deputies today approved a penal reform Bill that; 🟢 Decriminalises possession of up to 100g of cannabis in the home 🟢Allows for home cultivation of cannabis (3 plants) for personal use 🟢 Permits medical/therapeutic use of psylocibin 1/🧵

"All crypto is bullshit, but memecoins are consciously bullshit" www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Is every memecoin just a scam? Experts on whether Andrew Tate and Trump are fleecing their followers

After I was turned into a memecoin, I looked into the hype behind the crypto that only a tiny percentage of people profit from

theguardian.com

The Exec Director of UN Office on Drugs & Crime, Ghada Fathi Waly, has apparently resigned. Awaiting more info - & can only speculate as to the reasons, but seems likely related to massive funding cuts and broader institutional crisis at the failing agency. 1/

I talked to the @theLDNstandard podcast yesterday about the good and bad of the London Mayor's cannabis commission report - & the future of cannabis reforms in the UK (first 10 mins) 👇 Also available on apple podcasts, spotify etc. podfollow.com/the-standard...

The Standard: Will London decriminalise cannabis?

As the Mayor of London urges the government to consider decriminalising possession of small amounts of cannabis, Steve Rolles, a senior policy analyst for Transform Drugs Policy Foundation, unpacks...

podfollow.com

🧵 Police and governments have manipulated media to create a moral panic around crime in homeless encampments. Now, they’re taking the next step to punish unhoused residents through medical incarceration. Once again, major newspapers are serving as tailgunner. 1/ drugdatadecoded.ca/bc-governmen...

BC government faces legal challenge as national news media promote forced abstinence

Two long-form articles in national news outlets are promoting the BC government's "secure care" policy the same week that the government faces a pivotal legal challenge on its expansive interpretation...

drugdatadecoded.ca

Trump’s new ‘gold standard’ rule will destroy American science as we know it www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Trump’s new ‘gold standard’ rule will destroy American science as we know it | Colette Delawalla

The new executive order allows political appointees to undermine research they oppose, paving the way to state-controlled science

theguardian.com

The London Mayor's drug commission report is finally published today. It makes a welcome call for decriminalisation of cannabis possession but disappointingly stops short of recommending any form of legal regulation of cannabis markets. THREAD 1/🧵 t.co/q3N27YTK7S

It is heartbreaking to start my Bluesky engagement with this very sad posting honoring Naomi's life: www.remembr.com/naomi.burke-... If you are a part of #harmreduction or #drugpolicy community & have not yet contributed, please do so. So much love, gratitude & admiration. And such tremendous loss

Public health functions best when experts are allowed to disseminate information in real time. The CDC’s hands are tied & is no longer able to communicate information to Americans. Along with impending Medicare cuts, we will see how this is going to cost us. 🧪 🔗 www.npr.org/2025/05/21/n...

Diseases are spreading. The CDC isn't warning the public like it was months ago

Some of the CDC's main channels for communicating urgent health information to the public have gone silent.

npr.org

Questions for journalists covering Alberta's recovery model: 1) How many ppl are living w/ substance use disorder in Alberta? 2) Of those ppl, how many attended treatment (detox, residential, medication) last year? 3) How many ppl completed treatment (or were retained in care) last year? (1/3)

Post the amazing science things you have done with federal funding.

🌐 What happened at the UN's top drug policy body in March is history in the making! Shifting alliances, multiple tense votes & the promise of an independent panel to rethink it all. 🔴 The recording for our webinar unpacking #CND68 is now available at: idpc.net/events/2025/...

CND68 and drug policy reform: Unpacking key implications

Join us for a debrief session on the 68th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) to discuss progress, gridlocks and potential ways forward for the UN drug control regime.

idpc.net

The irony of prisons policy is that so many in politics and media are prisoners of "tough on crime" rhetoric, and they cannot get released.

Absolutely devastating news Naomi was a remarkable human - a brilliant mind, a visionary leader and a dear friend. She will be terribly missed RIP 💔

Harm Reduction International@harmreductionintl.bsky.social · last yr.

It is with heavy hearts that we at Harm Reduction International share the news that our much loved, former Executive Director, Naomi Burke-Shyne, passed away yesterday.

I was delighted to contribute to this fantastic special edition of @deppjournal.bsky.social on morality and drug policy - and to work with such a great editorial team. The introduction (below) sets out clearly where we are, and where we need to go next.

Alex Stevens@profalexstevens.bsky.social · last yr.

With thanks to co-editors @alisonritter.bsky.social & @draskew.bsky.social, here is the editorial to the special issue of @deppjournal.bsky.social on 'studying modalities in drug policy'. doi.org/10.1080/0968...

Love this galaxy of advocates, campaigners and agitators that believe drug policies can shift towards ensuring human rights & social justice! Thanks to our network for joining our very early members meeting at #HR25 💚 #SupportDontPunish!

🇺🇳 UN SG antonioguterres.bsky.social — your leadership can shape the future of drug policy! 183 civil society groups urge you to take bold and inclusive action in the upcoming global review! 📄Open letter: idpc.net/news/2025/05...

183 civil society groups urge UN Secretary-General to lead historic global drug policy review with a bold, inclusive and transformative vision

Global civil society groups call on the UN Secretary-General to ensure the independence, credibility and representativeness of the UN review's expert panel, and to champion meaningful,…

idpc.net