Home | Goals | Founders | What's New | Headlines | Contact Us | Join | Contribute anonymously | Search

What's New Archives ( 1998-99)  (click here to see current (2000-2001) archives)

• December 1, 1999: Injection Drug Use and AIDS: Global Network on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm details the growing problems with the spread of AIDS among injection drug users and the reluctance of governments, including governments in Canada, to take appropriate measures to reduce the risk of spread of HIV/AIDS. For Global Network press release, click here.

• November 24, 1999: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network releases report, Injection Drug Use and HIV/AIDS: Legal and Ethical Issues. The Legal Network's report argues that Canadian drug laws and policies contribute to the difficulties of reacting adequately to the HIV epidemic among injection drug users. Dr David Roy, author of the ethical component of the report, explains: "The criminalization of drug use does not achieve the goals it aims for. It causes harms equal to or worse than those it is supposed to prevent. . . It is ethically wrong to continue policies and programs that so unilaterally and utopically insist on abstinence from drug use that they ignore the more immediately commanding urgency of reducing the suffering of drug users and assuring their survival, their health, and their growth into liberty and dignity." Here are the press release, the full report, the executive summary of the report and the background papers on legal, ethical and policy issues.

From the executive summary of Injection Drug Use and HIV/AIDS: Legal and Ethical Issues:

"The criminal approach to drug use has several effects on drug users, health-care professionals, and society at large, and may increase rather than decrease harms from drug use:

Because drugs can only be purchased on the underground market, they are of unknown strength and composition, which may result in overdoses or other harm to the drug user.

Fear of criminal penalties and the high price of drugs cause users to consume drugs in more efficient ways, such as by injection, that contribute to the transmission of HIV and hepatitis.

Because sterile injection equipment is not always available, drug users may have to share needles and equipment, which further contributes to the spread of infections.

Significant resources are spent on law enforcement, money that could instead be spent on prevention and the expansion of treatment facilities for drug users.

The most pronounced effect, however, is to push drug users to the margins of society. This makes it difficult to reach them with educational messages that might improve their health and reduce the risk of further spread of disease; makes users afraid to go to health or social services; may make service providers shy away from providing essential education on safer use of drugs, for fear of being seen to condone use; and fosters anti-drug attitudes toward the user, directing action toward punishment of the "offender" rather than fostering understanding and assistance. Alternatives to the current approach to drug use and drug users in Canada are possible. Alternatives within the current prohibitionist policy that would not require any changes to the current legal framework could include the de facto decriminalization of cannabis possession for personal use, medical prescription of heroin, explicit educational programs, etc. Alternatives to the current prohibitionist approach may require that Canada denounce several international drug-control conventions."

• Report of October 1998 national consensus conference on Hepatitis C
• 1997 report of the National Task Force on HIV, AIDS and Injection Drug Use
• testimony of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy before the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, December 14, 1995, and the study presented to the committee on how Canada's drug laws and policies contribute to the spread of HIV
• Bill C-7: Implications for HIV/AIDS Prevention, by Diane Riley and Eugene Oscapella, reprinted from the HIV/AIDS Policy & Law Newsletter 1995: 1(2).

• October 6, 1999: Medicinal marijuana. Minister of Health announces 14 further successful applications for access to medicinal marijuana. For news story, click here. For the government's own press release, click here.

• August 9, 1999: Report of October 1998 national consensus conference on Hepatitis C (report dated June 1999) calls for comprehensive harm reduction approach, including safe injection sites and treating drug use as a health issue rather than as a criminal justice issue. To see only the sections of the report relating to injection drug use, click here. Report endorses the 1997 recommendations of Canada's National Task Force on HIV, AIDS and Injection Drug Use, which called for specific exemptions under criminal laws to allow physicians to prescribe narcotics (e.g., heroin, cocaine) to drug users AND also called for decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of currently illegal drugs for personal use.

• August 6, 1999: Censorship of drug policy discussions on Internet? Proposed U.S. bill would ban Internet discussions of the use of unapproved drugs and links to such sites and make such actions a criminal offence. For details, click here.

• June 9, 1999: Medicinal marijuana: Minister of Health announces clinical trials program, and procedure for exempting from criminal prosecution individuals who successfully apply to Health Canada for access to medicinal marijuana. To see the story in the Toronto Globe and Mail, and the June 9 statement by the Minister of Health in the House of Commons, click here. To see the government press release, including the proposed research plan, click here. To see a detailed explanation of recent developments in Canada relating to medicinal marijuana, click here. Here is the site where you can find information and application forms to apply for access to medicinal marijuana. To see a 1998 Health Canada document on regulating medicinal marijuana, click here. To see the Health Canada status report on a research program for medicinal marijuana, click here.

• May 25, 1999: Final debate and vote held Tuesday, May 25, 1999 on medicinal marijuana motion proposed by Quebec MP.  Original motion M-381 (March 25, 1998 - Mr. Bigras (Rosemont)) reads: "That, in the opinion of this House, the government should undertake all  necessary steps to legalize the use of marijuana for health and medical purposes." House of Commons passes amended motion: "That, in the opinion of this House, the government should take steps immediately concerning the possible legal medical use of marijuana including developing a research plan containing clinical trials, appropriate guidelines for its medical use, as well as access to a safe medicinal supply, and that the government report its findings and recommendations before the House rises for the summer." For transcript of the debates on this motion, click here.  To see the web site on medical marijuana established by Mr. Bigras, click here.

• May 10, 1999: Medicinal marijuana -- Court challenge by AIDS patient Jim Wakeford succeeds. Judge grants interim constitutional exemption to Mr. Wakeford: "Pursuant to S. 24(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Mr. Wakeford is hereby granted an interim constitutional exemption from the applicability and operation of sections 4 (possession) and 7 (production and cultivation) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. This interim exemption shall remain in force until such time as the Minister of Health decides upon the application for exemption by Mr. Wakeford presently before the Minister, and made pursuant to s.56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act." For further details, including news reports and the text of the judgment, click here.

• April 28, 1999: Heroin maintenance -- House of Commons debate on motion by Libby Davies, MP "That, in the opinion of this House, the government should, in co-operation with the provinces, implement clinical, multi-centre heroin prescription trials for injection to opiate users, including protocols for rigorous scientific assessment and evaluation." For transcript of debate, click here. To see the background materials prepared by Libby Davies, MP, please click here.

• April 27, 1999: Reform MP introduces private members' bill (Bill C-503) to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis; Ontario NDP and Liberal leaders call for similar measures. For story, click here. Ontario premier says he preferred alcohol, wants zero tolerance for cannabis.

• April 23, 1999: Strip searches for drugs -- monitoring the "alimentary canal" in the name of the War on Drugs. Supreme Court of Canada addresses privacy and the legality of "bedpan vigils" and "drug loo facilities" to search suspected drug smugglers. Court says that subjecting travellers crossing the Canadian border to potential embarrassment is the price to be paid in order to achieve the necessary balance between an individual's privacy interest and the compelling countervailing state interest in protecting the integrity of Canada's borders from the flow of dangerous contraband materials. For newspaper report on case, R. v. Monney, click here. For complete judgment, click here. See stories about alleged racism in selecting passengers for drug and other searches at Toronto's Pearson airport, and alleged racism in US airport drug searches.

• April 23, 1999: Supreme Court of Canada criticizes RCMP for breaking law during drug sting. "Police illegality that is planned and approved within the RCMP hierarchy and implemented in defiance of legal advice would, if established, suggest a potential systemic problem concerning police accountability and control." For news story on judgment, click here. For the full Court judgment, click here.

• April 23, 1999: Switzerland: Government-appointed panel urges legalizing sale and use of cannabis. Here is a translated report from a German language Swiss newspaper.

• April 22, 1999: National Post report confirms that board of Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police wants to decriminalize possession of cannabis. Earlier (April 21) National Post story had suggested that chiefs wanted to decriminalize all drugs. For both stories and other related stories, click here. House of Commons Debates: Minister of Justice agrees to review chiefs' position.

• April 14, 1999: Medicinal marijuana debate continues in House of Commons. For details, click here. For an analysis of recent political and legal developments in Canada relating to medicinal marijuana, click here.

• April 10, 1999: Description of current and planned heroin maintenance programs in several countries (report from the 10th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm - Geneva, 21-25 March, 1999).  For other reports from the conference, click here.

• April 9, 1999: Survey shows Canadians overwhelmingly support medicinal use of marijuana -- 78% said they support the federal government's plan to consider the use of marijuana as a possible treatment for various medicinal conditions.

• March 23, 1999: Parliament may amend controversial bill allowing U.S. border officers in Canadian airports -- on Canadian soil -- to search and have detained travellers they suspect of trying to take drugs or other illegal substances into the United States.  Bill raises Canadian sovereignty issues. For news report, click here.

• March 17, 1999: U.S. Institute of Medicine Releases Marijuana and Medicine, Assessing the Science Base.  For details and the executive summary of the report, click here. See Reuters and UPInews stories.

• March 9, 1999: Statistics Canada releases 1997 drug offence statistics: "During the 1990s, cannabis offences have been increasing while cocaine and heroin offences have been declining. In 1997, cannabis offences accounted for 72% of all drug crimes, compared with 58% in 1991. In contrast, cocaine accounted for 17% of all cases in 1997, down from 28% in 1991, and heroin accounted for about 2% of all cases, down marginally from 1991. Possession of cannabis alone accounted for almost half of all drug offences."  For further details, click here.

• March 4, 1999: Canda's House of Commons begins debate about medicinal marijuana motion proposed by Quebec MP.  Motion M-381 (March 25, 1998 - Mr. Bigras (Rosemont)) reads: "That, in the opinion of this House, the government should undertake all  necessary steps to legalize the use of marijuana for health and medical purposes." For transcript of the debate, click here.  To see the web site on medical marijuana established by Mr. Bigras, click here.

• March 3, 1999: Medicinal marijuana (Canada): Federal Minister of Health announces that the federal government intends to start clinical trials with medicinal marijuana.  For details and press coverage of announcement, click here. To see research and policy materials on medicinal marijuana, click here.

• March 2, 1999: United States: Clinton drug plan fails to prevent adolescent drug use or reduce disease or drug overdoses, new report, The Effective National Drug Control Strategy concludes.

• February 28, 1999: New York Times -- The War on Drugs Retreats, Still Taking Prisoners. "More people are behind bars for drug offenses in the United States -- about 400,000 -- than are in prison for all crimes in England, France, Germany and Japan combined.. . . Every week, on average, a new jail or prison is built to lock up more people in the world's largest penal system."  See also the accompanying March 1, 1999,  NYT article, Soldiers of the Drug War Remain on Duty.

• February 27, 1999: Premier of Victoria, Australia, supports starting heroin trials, including the provision of heroin to users.

• February 23, 1999: Britain's The Independent newspaper reports that the illegal drug trade [fostered by prohibition - ed.] is the third biggest economy in the world today. "Like any other business, organised crime has gone global, and the drugs trade is its most profitable sector."

• February 7, 1999: American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section study concludes that increased drug arrests and longer prison sentences have not slowed illegal drug use.

• January 21, 1999:  Article from the Journal of the U.S. Public Health Service, Public Health Reports, Drug Prohibition and Public Health: 25 Years of Evidence, by Ernest Drucker, PhD, of the Montefiore Medical Center, New York City.

• January 3, 1999: Halifax Daily News op ed: "We've legalized the wrong sins".

• January 2, 1999: Britain's respected The Economist magazine on "Ending the War on Drugs".

• Dec 18, 1998: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) releases its annual report on drug use in the European Union.

• November 29, 1998: Alleged racism in selecting passengers for drug and other searches at Toronto's Pearson airport. (See related story about alleged racism in US searches.)

• November 26, 1998:  Supreme Court of Canada decision allows drug search by high school vice-principal in presence of police. To see the decision, R. v. M. (M.R.), click here.

• November 18, 1998 --Germany -- heroin maintenance: The trial of a state controlled distribution of heroin to sick addicts will begin in Hamburg and Frankfurt.

• November 12, 1998:  1979 Canadian government document, Cannabis Control Policy: A Discussion Paper, made public under access to information laws.

• November 14, 1998:  UK Lancet qualifies its 1995 opinion on cannabis, and now concludes that, "on the medical evidence available, moderate indulgence in cannabis has little ill-effect on health, and that decisions to ban or to legalise cannabis should be based on other considerations."  See also the November 17, 1998 editorial in Le Monde (Paris) in support of the Lancet article.

• November 15, 1998: Medical marijuana: United Kingdom House of Lords committee recommends legal access to medical marijuana; see report from The Guardian and chapter 7, chapter 8 and appendices to the House of Lords report. The Times reports that UK government rejects recommendation, but that government says doctors might be allowed to prescribe the drug after extensive clinical trials.

November 5, 1998: Medical marijuana initiatives succeed in United States mid-term elections; Oregon votes NOT to recriminalize cannabis. Congress prevents disclosure of vote results on medical marijuana initiative in Washington, DC.  For details, see the DRCNeT (Drug Reform Coordination Network), DrugSense and Lindesmith Center discussions of these events.

• A parting plea about the war on drugs by a retiring Canadian Senator, the Hon. Duncan Jessiman, June 4, 1998

• Opposition to United Nations "War on Drugs" at UN Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS), June 8-10, 1998. International coalition, including several present and former leaders, call on UN Secretary General for an honest appraisal of drug control efforts, saying "we believe that the global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself." To see a copy of the letter sent to the Secretary General, and the signatories to the letter, click here. For background about the UN Special Session on Drugs, click here. For Canadian press release and list of Canadian signatories, click here. Here are other events related to the 'Global Days Against The Drug War', June 5-10, in response to United Nations Special Session on Drugs.

 
• May 26, 1998 -- The Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation: A Ten Point Plan for Effective Drug Laws
 
• March 5, 1998: Is the United Nations attempting to increase censorship of the drug policy debate? UN International Narcotic Control Board's 1997 annual report criticizes those who speak in support of changes to drug laws. Report also criticizes media for allegedly showing favourable images of drug "abuse" and calls for criminal penalties and restrictions on freedom of expression. See the relevant portions of the annual report by clicking here.