Policy Reports and Briefing Papers

Roadmaps to Regulation: Coca, Cocaine, and Derivatives (TBA)

This report, written by over 30 experts across the world, is the most robust attempt to date to open discussion on the issue of coca/cocaine regulation. It does so from a comprehensive and multidisciplinary perspective, with leading names in the relevant fields. It is a pivotal point in the difficult, yet necessary, discussion on the regulation of stimulants.

Guatemala reports (2013)

The Beckley Foundation Latin America Chapter produced two influential reports for the region (Paths for Reform: Proposed Options for Alternative Drug Policies in Guatemala and Illicit Drug Markets and Dimensions of Violence in Guatemala), investigating current trends of drug-related violence and proposing options for alternative drug policies.

Licensing and Regulation of the Cannabis Market in England and Wales: A Cost/Benefit Analysis (2013)

This report, led by Prof Stephen Pudney, investigated the economic consequences of a regulated cannabis market in the UK, indicating that it could be worth as much as £1.25bn a year to the government.

Roadmaps to Reforming the UN Drug Conventions (2012)

This ground-breaking report, led by Prof Robin Room, was the first to carefully document the ways in which the UN Conventions can be amended in order to allow signatory countries the freedom to choose and experiment with domestic policies best suited to their individual needs.

Rethinking US Drug Policy (2011)

This report, published in February 2011, was a joint effort of the Inter-American Dialogue and the Beckley Foundation. To encourage debate on the issues of drug regulation and the search for alternative approaches, the Inter-American Dialogue launched its drug policy project in 2009. This report is one of the critical products of that initiative. It offers six proposals to set the stage for a thorough rethinking of the US and global approach toward illicit drugs.

Cannabis Policy: Report of the Global Cannabis Commission (2008, 2010, 2014)

2006 Amanda Feilding convened a team of the world’s leading drug policy analysts to form theBeckley Foundation’s Global Cannabis Commission. The Commission consisted of Professors Robin Room, Wayne Hall, Peter Reuter, Benedikt Fischer, and Simon Lenton. The Commission prepared an overview of the latest scientific evidence surrounding cannabis and the policies that control its use, and identified possible routes forward, including depenalisation, decriminalization, and a regulated legal market. They also discussed how individual countries might reform cannabis policies to suit their individual needs. The 2008 Report of the Global Cannabis Commission formed the basis for the book “Cannabis Policy: Moving Beyond Stalemate” which was jointly published with Oxford University Press in 2010 and a Spanish translation, titled “Políticas Sobre el Cannabis” published in 2014.

Reports and briefing papers (2004-2010)

These reports are part of an illustrious and influential library: between 2004 and 2009, Amanda Feilding and Mike Trace co-directed what was then called the Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme (BFDPP) – a partnership between the Beckley Foundation and DrugScope (at the time UK’s leading independent centre of expertise on drugs). The BFDPP was conceived to be an initiative dedicated to providing a rigorous, independent review of the effectiveness of national and international drug policies. At the time, the BFDPP chaired the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), a global network of NGOs and professional networks who work together to promote objective debate around national and international drug policies, and provide advice and support to governments in the search for effective policies and programmes. Dame Ruth Runciman (former Chair of the UK Mental Health Act Commission) noted that the Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme (BFDPP) was the first global initiative driven by the non-governmental sector that recognised the centrality of analysis of the evidence base to drafting effective drug policy development. As part of this programme, Amanda Feilding and Mike Trace commissioned, wrote or edited a series of reports and briefing papers that provided an overview and analysis of drug policy effectiveness around the world. Although these reports are now a few years old, they were highly influential, with much of the information and analysis they contain remaining as pertinent now as it was when they were originally published.