IDPC presents 20 principles for regulating cannabis markets

In a document published at the beginning of September, the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) presents twenty principles to guide responsible regulation of drug markets. Cannabis.

As the consortium reminds us in its introductory note, more than 50 countries have now «adopted regulatory frameworks for medical cannabis, while a growing number of jurisdictions have regulated adult non-medical use, and many more are poised to follow. As these legal frameworks are put in place, it is essential that they are designed to advance social justice, inclusion and human rights.»

It sees regulation as a powerful tool to «remedy decades of criminalization, economic exclusion and lack of access to appropriate health care» and «repair the damage caused by the «war on drugs»». Poor regulation, on the other hand, can, according to IDPC, further criminalize those who remain outside regulated markets.

The IDPC sets out 6 main pillars for responsible cannabis regulation:

•  legal markets should protecting health and human rights people who use drugs, by providing them with full access to health services and with the full range of rights and protections usually accorded to consumers on the legal markets.
• legal markets must advancing social justice seeking to redress the harms of punitive policies and ensuring that the communities most affected by prohibition, who in many cases have been oppressed on the basis of race, gender identity or sexual orientation, are able to make the transition to the legal market - if they so wish
• regulatory frameworks should promote business models and international trade policies that advance economic inclusion, sustainable development and climate justice in local, regional and global supply chains
• legal reforms must remove penalties for personal drug use and ancillary activities, including for substances or activities not covered by regulated markets. While sanctions are always imposed for traffic-related activities, punitive responses must be strictly proportionate and accompanied by other interventions.
• legal regulations must adopt a gender-sensitive approach, to remedy the disproportionate prejudice and exclusion suffered by women under ban.
• the new regulatory frameworks should include mechanisms for comprehensive data collection, analysis and dissemination on drug markets and consumption, as legal regulation is an ongoing, iterative process that responds to market developments and lessons learned.

The full report can be consulted online here (in English) and the 20 principles have been brought together in the infographic below.