Drug Policy: Future of the War on Drugs with Camille Barton, Steve Rolles (TRANSFORM), Neil Woods (LEAP UK) & Rachel Wissner

For over 50 years, we have witnessed the ramifications of banning psychoactive drugs. With the drug sales in the hands of black markets- policy leaders, ex-law enforcement officers, and human rights activists are urging a reconsideration of UK drug policy. 

How has the drug war caused more harm than good? How do we reconcile these devastating effects of prohibition? And how can we move forward in our policy, whilst maintaining equality, management of corporate power and public health? With radical policy changes in the past decade across Europe and the Americas, what lessons can we learn from these different counties in creating a sustainable UK, and international, drug policy model? How do we prevent new legal markets marginalising ethnic minority groups? And how do we overcome dangers from profit motivations and commercialisation?

Join us for this varied panel of experts in international drug policy reform, from artist to undercover-cop, to discuss the war on drugs. From its history of prohibition to our current psychedelic renaissance, what does the future hold for new and reformed international drug policies?

This panel will be part two of our two-part series on drug policy. With a new generation of drug policy reformers and psychedelic researchers, we want to shine a light on the healing powers of banned substances, the consequences of prohibiting psychoactive substances and explore the future of the war on drugs.

SPEAKERS

Camille Barton

Camille Barton is an artist, writer and cultural somatic educator working on the intersections of wellness, drug policy and transformative justice. She is the director of the Collective Liberation Project and creator of a trauma-informed approach to diversity and decolonisation work. 

Camille works as a MAPS advisor, ensuring MDMA psychotherapy will be accessible to communities of colour. They work closely with Release in the UK on drug policy reform and in 2018 co-produced RE:GENERATE, an arts festival on drug policy, racial justice and liberation.  Camille has written for Vice, Talking Drugs, the MAPS Bulletin and Double Blind on drug policy & racial justice. 

Steve Rolles

Steve Rolles is Senior Policy Analyst for Transform Drug Policy Foundation, a UK based think tank and charity focused on drug policy and law reform, where he has worked for 20 years. He is also a lead author on a range of Transform publications including 2009's 'After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation' and 2013's 'Regulating Cannabis: A Practical Guide'.

Steve has been a regular contributor to the public debate on drug policy and law for over 15 years; in the media, at the UK and international events, and various UN and Government forums. He has also served as an adviser for the Uruguayan, Canadian and Luxembourg Governments on cannabis regulation, and was a lead drafter and technical coordinator for two reports for the Global Commission on Drug Policy. He helped to establish drug safety testing in the UK with The Loop and is now working on a non-medical psychedelics regulation project.  

Neil Woods

Neil Woods is a former drug undercover police officer. He's now a board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) in the USA and Europe. LEAP is a growing international movement of police and other law enforcement who campaign for an end to the war on drugs and other criminal justice reforms. Neil is also the author of two books, Good Cop Bad War and Drug Wars with JS Rafaeli. 

Rachel Wissner

Rachel Wissner is currently serving as Interim Executive Director of Student for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the largest global youth-led network dedicated to ending the War on Drugs. During her time at the State University of New York, Rachel worked in multiple harm-reduction and drug policy campaigns, including equalising campus alcohol and marijuana policy and ending discrimination against college applicants with prior felony convictions. She has also worked as the Outreach Associate for Family Law & Cannabis Alliance (FLCA) advocating for families impacted by the drug war and raising awareness of issues parents and families face under prohibition. Outside of Drug policy, she has worked for the New York Public Interest.

If you would like to attend this event but are unable to afford the ticket price, please do get in touch with us directly at martha@psychedelicsociety.org.uk. 

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