Century of Lies

Australia’s Alcohol and Drug Foundation recently hosted a panel discussion entitled “Impacts of Covid-19 on the drug market: a multi-country multi-study analysis.” On this week’s show we hear from some of the panelists including Dr. Monica Barratt, a social scientist at the Drug Policy Modelling Program, which is part of Australia's National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales; Dr. Laura Garius, a criminologist who is a Policy Lead with the UK nonprofit Release; and Dr. Jack Cunliffe, a Lecturer in Quantitative Methods and Criminology at the University of Kent.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recently organized a webinar entitled Human Rights In Action: Implementing the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy. We hear from two of the speakers: Rodrigo Uprimny, a professor emeritus at the National University of Colombia and Director of the Drug Policy Area for DeJusticia; and Teresa Caeiro, advisor to Portugal’s National Coordinator for the problems of Drugs, Drug Addiction and Alcohol. Plus, Ajeng Larasati, Human Rights Lead at Harm Reduction International, on The Death Penalty for Drug Offenses in the Covid-19 pandemic era.

On this edition of Century: Addressing the harms of criminalization and policing with criminal justice and drug policy reform. The nation of Norway along with several international NGOs recently held a discussion to to highlight some of the most pressing harms associated with policing and criminalisation, and propose a number of options for criminal justice and drug policy reform grounded in social justice, racial justice and human rights. We hear from panelists Lee Edson P. Yarcia, MD, with NoBox Philippines; and Theshia Naidoo, Managing Director of the Department of Legal Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance. Plus, Professor Charles Grob, MD, on psilocybin research.

This week on Century: Fentanyl, mandatory minimums, and racism. We hear from Grant Smith, Deputy Director of Drug Policy Alliance Office of National Affairs; Nkechi Taifa, author of a new memoir entitled Black Power, Black Lawyer: My Audacious Quest for Justice, CEO of The Taifa Group, and Convener of the Justice Roundtable; and Hilary Shelton, NAACP senior vice president for advocacy and policy and director of NAACP’s Washington Bureau. Plus the US “Drug Czar,” Regina Labelle, addresses the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.