A silent revolution: Changing goals and values in drug-policy in the early 21st century
Three years earlier than planned, the United Nations held a special session on the „world drug problem“ in April 2016. The results are just as much disillusioning as the reasons for the call to action. But beyond the justified critique of civil society organizations, a silent revolution was taking place in recent years: Neither the goal of a „drug free world“ nor the „war on drugs“ are considered reachable nor desirable anymore, and even cornerstones of international drug-policy are challenged in high level discussions.
In this talk I will depict contemporary developments of national and international drug-policy and discuss the prospects of the competing political currents reaching from a call to the legalization of all psychoactive substances for recreational use to the intensification of criminal sanctions.