Illegal drugs including cocaine, heroin and cannabis should be reclassified to reflect a scientific assessment of harm, according to a report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy. The commission, which includes 14 former heads of states from countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Portugal and New Zealand, said the international classification system underpinning drug control is “biased and inconsistent”. Other negative consequences were the spread of infectious diseases, higher mortality and the global prison overcrowding crisis, the report said. The commission’s recent report looks into how “biased” historical classification of substances, with its emphasis on prohibition, has contributed to the world drug problem. Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand, said the WHO should make decisions on drug classification based on health and wellbeing.

Source: The Guardian June 26, 2019 06:00 UTC