Politics and Drugs Questions
Q4. Why has international drugs policy not been reformed?
Kind of debates taking place about International Drugs Policy
In the recent past, the irrelevance of international drug policy has been questioned by different health and political analysts (Center for Strategies & International Studies, 2014). While this continues, different debates about why international drug policy has not been reformed exist. Some of these debates include:
Medical use of bhang and cannabis policy: There is no evidence base for the medical use of bhang, cannabinoids, and cannabis (Center for Strategies & International Studies, 2014). Internationally, the WHO has been on the forefront in educating people on the dangers of substance abuse to their health. While the international drug policy lists cannabis and bhang as illegal drugs, other countries allow its consumption (Liana, 2015). A Plagiarized Student Sample: ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
The responsible control of drugs: International law requires every country to control drug trafficking. While this is the case, most government officials engage in drug smuggling activities. Criminal organizations have been weakened due to the government’s participation in illicit business (Khalid, 2018). And this is also another case and reason why international drug policy has not be reformed yet.
Cannabis-derived medical products: The advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommends the use of cannabis in curing some health problems such as cancer. The ACMD recommends that cannabis-derive medical products get excluded in the Misuse of Drug Regulations (Center for Strategies & International Studies, 2014). As a result, the international policy on drugs has not been easy to implement and transform.
The world drug perception problem: International drug policy reforms have been challenging to legislate, design, and implement since the current policies are based on perceptions and passionate beliefs, as well as what should be factual discussions leading to effective creation of policies are constantly considered as moral debates (Khalid, 2018).
The other types of debates surrounding international drug policy are related to:
- Drug and illicit practices by top government officials
- Taking new line on substance abuse
- Strategies to reforming the UN Drug Treaties and Cannabis regulation
- The democratic view that drug use is a human right
- The UN drug control conventions
Tensions and Contradictions within International Drug Policy
Although a significant sector of international organizations such as the WHO, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the UN have worked together in setting reasonable international drug policies, other sectors have gone the opposite direction (DrugWise, 2018). The international drug policy deals with matters such as drug use decriminalization, decriminalization of cultivation for personal use, proportionality of sentences when compared to other forms of crime and the alleviation of inhuman prison policies imposed to drug traffickers (Liana, 2015).
While this is the case, the international policy law prohibits the abuse of illegal drugs through either drug smuggling or consumption. However, most government leaders all over the world have failed in supporting these policies (Khalid, 2018). The contradiction arises when there is lack of reflection and also when there is publication of positions by government leaders against the international drug policy.
International drug policy journals have always published information of government officials involved in drug trafficking activities, and this contradicts the drug policy reformation process (Khalid, 2018). In attempts to reform the criminal justice system, some countries do not support these regulatory changes for they fear that their businesses will get affected. A Plagiarized Student Sample: ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
Trends and Subtle changes in International Drug Policy
The current trends and subtle transformations in the international drug policy include:
- Global drug trafficking: Drug smuggling activities are taking place across borders.
- Digital healthcare and substance abuse
- Substance abuse: In certain countries like Jamaica and America, people are fighting for the legalization of illegal drugs on the basis of medical reasons.
- Healthcare and substance abuse: Medical advice that some drugs have portion of cannabis/bhang for it cures certain health conditions, this is a new trend.