On 11. September 2021, the Alliance for Rights-Oriented Drug Policies (AROD) held a cannabis sale for human rights at the main police station in Oslo. Posts one and two on this blog elaborate on the reason for the civil disobedience campaign; ARODs press release provides essential information, and here we offer a brief summary. Civil […]
“A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” […]
“After a few decades studying the development of our drug policies, I have become more and more sceptical. Speaking bluntly, I have stated that we someday may see it as the 20th Century’s greatest misapplication of the criminal law. With this, I speak not only for us, but for the entire world.” […]
(This article was published in Dagsavisen, December 23, 2000. It was a response to an article by Benedicte Bjørnland, head of the Police Directorate, which advocated for persecution and punishment) While more and more people see punishment as unsuited for combating drug abuse, the police continue to insist on the need for coercive measures. Even […]
(This article was published in Nettavisen, 18 January 2020. It was written as a response to the tendency of politicians to ignore the implications of moral panic, naming specifically the Christian People’s Party (KrF) and the Progress Party (FrP).) The Royal Commission has published its report, but politicians in KrF and Frp do not like […]
(Published: 30 January, 2020 in Vårt land) Recently, in Klassekampen, Pernille Huseby from ACTIS and Arild Knutsen from FHN stand together in the call for a more unifying debate on drug policy. Noticing the increased polarisation, they fear that ‘negative reactions to constructive input may lead to providers in the public debate being reluctant to […]
The Norwegian Royal Commission has published its report. This report makes it clear that punishment is counterproductive and that obligations under the international law point in the direction of decriminalisation. This in turn has made many people fear for the future. Loud voices warn against the probability of more use and the need for a […]
Because it is a prerequisite for proper law enforcement that the police reflect on their own morals and can defend their actions in the light of human rights, the Police University College teaches professional ethics. However, this is of little help when the police department is permeated by a culture that opposes our constitutional heritage. […]
The report of the Norwegian Royal Commission on Drug Reform is far more detrimental to the prohibition regime than expected. Not only does it document how moral panic has affected the development of policy but also shows that human rights are involved, and several non-government organisations (NGOs) have requested that the politicians recognise the Royal […]
In “The Right to Self-determination”, philosophy professor Einar Øverenget asks important questions. Referring to the COVID-19 crisis, he asks whether there is a reasonable relationship between the measures we have taken and real risk or whether such a strong narrative has been built up around fear that we forget how society usually handles danger. The […]
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