The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Austrian Volker Türk, publicly acknowledged at the Dealing with Drugs Conference held last December in Warsaw, the failure of the global drug prohibition strategy.

In a forceful statement, he affirmed that this policy has been an absolute failure and has destroyed countless lives and damaged entire communities.

Closing a model that perpetuates harm

For decades, the so-called “war on drugs” has prioritized repression and criminalization over public health and human rights. This approach has led to the criminalization of users, prison overcrowding, and social stigmatization, without achieving a significant reduction in the use or trafficking of these substances.

Furthermore, a recent global report on drugs reports that consumption continues to increase despite governments spending more than $100 billion annually on these prohibitionist and war on drugs policies.

According to an Amnesty International report, 42% of death sentences worldwide are related to drug trafficking.

The Global Commission on Drug Policy, composed of former leaders from countries such as Brazil, Colombia, New Zealand, Greece, and Poland, holds a similar position. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which approved in March, with unprecedented consensus and the favorable vote of Spain, the exploration of a new international control system for substances considered narcotics, a proposal rejected only by Trump's United States, Putin's Russia, and Milei's Argentina.

Toward a more humane and effective approach

Given this situation, the UN and various international organizations are advocating for a paradigm shift. They propose adopting policies focused on public health, harm/risk reduction, and respect for human rights.

This approach seeks to treat drug use as a health issue, not a crime issue, and to promote the social inclusion of those affected.

A key element of the reform, declared Volker Türk, is decriminalization.

In countries like Colombia and the Philippines, policies are already being implemented that prioritize development, public health, and human rights over the repressive measures of the past.

Implications for the cannabis movement in our country

In the Spanish context, where some prohibitionist policies still persist, this recognition by the UN, with the favorable vote of the Spanish delegation, could promote legislative reforms in our country that allow for fairer and more effective regulation of cannabis and other substances.

The cannabis movement in Spain can find in this declaration support to promote policies based on scientific evidence and human rights.

It is therefore a time for Rethink strategies and move toward a model that prioritizes health, education, and inclusion, leaving criminalization and stigmatization behind.