Drugs and Democracy: Toward a Paradigm Shift

The Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, led by three former Latin American presidents, released a statement [PDF] outlining their vision of the drug war and how they believe developed nations should go after the problem.

The commission makes five recommendations:

1. Change the status of addicts from drug buyers in the illegal market to that of patients cared for in the public health system
2. Evaluate from a public health standpoint and on the basis of the most advanced medical science the convenience of decriminalizing the possession of cannabis for personal use
3. Reduce consumption through campaigns of information and prevention that can be understood and accepted by young people, who account for the largest contingent of users.
4. Redirect repressive strategies to the unrelenting fight against organized crime
5. Reframe the strategies of repression against the cultivation of illicit drugs