Drogas y sociedad en la España de la década de 2020: retos y propuestas político-legislativas / Drugs and society in Spain in the 2020s: Outlining alternatives to the biomedical-punitive model

Este artículo pretende esbozar las bases de una propuesta alternativa al tradicional abordaje de lapolítica de drogas y de las drogodependencias en España. Se parte de un análisis crítico del modelohegemónico predominante en la actualidad, al que se considera limitado por dos motivos fundamentales. El primero, por su enfoque excesivamente biomédico e individualizado para el tratamiento delos problemas de salud mental (y, por ende, de drogodependencias). El segundo, por su énfasis en lasmedidas represivas y punitivas para la gestión de los desafíos sociales relacionados con el uso adultorecreativo de drogas y, especialmente, de los problemas derivados de la existencia de los mercados ilícitos de drogas. Ambas limitaciones han hecho que, desde el ámbito de la política pública,se haga necesario gestionar no únicamente las consecuencias del uso de sustancias sino, además,las consecuencias de las propias políticas de drogas. Como alternativa, esbozamos un modelo quecombina una aproximación no estigmatizante hacia las sustancias psicoactivas, con la centralidad delos derechos humanos como eje fundamental que debe guiar las políticas de drogas. Nos centraremos en los casos específicos de los psicótropos (psilocibina, LSD y MDMA) y de plantas psicoactivasde origen tradicional, como la ayahuasca o la hoja de coca. Con una intención más reflexiva queacadémica, pero fruto de la trayectoria de los autores en la investigación y en la incidencia política eneste ámbito, este artículo perfila algunos elementos que podrían tomarse en consideración a la horade diseñar una política de drogas más centrada en la salud comunitaria y en los cuidados, que estéfundamentada en los derechos humanos, en la participación de la sociedad civil y en la evaluaciónobjetiva de las políticas públicas. (AU)

This article aims to outline the basis of an alternative proposal to the traditional approach todrug policy and drug dependence in Spain. It is based on a critical analysis of the currently predominant hegemonic model, which is considered to be limited for two fundamental reasons.The first is its excessively biomedical and individualised approach to the treatment of mentalhealth problems (and, therefore, drug dependence). The second is its emphasis on repressiveand punitive measures to manage the social challenges related to adult recreational drug useand, especially, the problems arising from the existence of illicit drug markets. Both limitationshave made it necessary for public policy to manage not only the consequences of substanceuse but also the consequences of drug policies themselves. As an alternative, we outline amodel that combines a non-stigmatising approach to psychoactive substances with the centrality of human rights as the fundamental axis that should guide drug policies. We will focuson the specific cases of psychotropic substances (psilocybin, LSD and MDMA) and psychoactive plants of traditional origin, such as ayahuasca or coca leaf. With a more reflexive thanacademic intention, but as a result of the authors’ experience in research and advocacy in thisfield, this article outlines some elements that could be taken into consideration when designinga drug policy that is more focused on community health and care, based on human rights, theparticipation of civil society and the objective evaluation of public policies (AU)

Drugs and society in Spain in the 2020s:Outlining alternatives to the biomedical-punitive model / Drogas y sociedad en la España de la década de 2020: retos y propuestas político-legislativas

This article aims to outline the basis of an alternative proposal to the traditional approach todrug policy and drug dependence in Spain. It is based on a critical analysis of the currently predominant hegemonic model, which is considered to be limited for two fundamental reasons.The first is its excessively biomedical and individualised approach to the treatment of mentalhealth problems (and, therefore, drug dependence). The second is its emphasis on repressiveand punitive measures to manage the social challenges related to adult recreational drug useand, especially, the problems arising from the existence of illicit drug markets. Both limitationshave made it necessary for public policy to manage not only the consequences of substanceuse but also the consequences of drug policies themselves. As an alternative, we outline amodel that combines a non-stigmatising approach to psychoactive substances with the centrality of human rights as the fundamental axis that should guide drug policies. We will focuson the specific cases of psychotropic substances (psilocybin, LSD and MDMA) and psychoactive plants of traditional origin, such as ayahuasca or coca leaf. With a more reflexive thanacademic intention, but as a result of the authors’ experience in research and advocacy in thisfield, this article outlines some elements that could be taken into consideration when designinga drug policy that is more focused on community health and care, based on human rights, theparticipation of civil society and the objective evaluation of public policies (AU)

Este artículo pretende esbozar las bases de una propuesta alternativa al tradicional abordaje de lapolítica de drogas y de las drogodependencias en España. Se parte de un análisis crítico del modelohegemónico predominante en la actualidad, al que se considera limitado por dos motivos fundamentales. El primero, por su enfoque excesivamente biomédico e individualizado para el tratamiento delos problemas de salud mental (y, por ende, de drogodependencias). El segundo, por su énfasis en lasmedidas represivas y punitivas para la gestión de los desafíos sociales relacionados con el uso adultorecreativo de drogas y, especialmente, de los problemas derivados de la existencia de los mercados ilícitos de drogas. Ambas limitaciones han hecho que, desde el ámbito de la política pública,se haga necesario gestionar no únicamente las consecuencias del uso de sustancias sino, además,las consecuencias de las propias políticas de drogas. Como alternativa, esbozamos un modelo quecombina una aproximación no estigmatizante hacia las sustancias psicoactivas, con la centralidad delos derechos humanos como eje fundamental que debe guiar las políticas de drogas. Nos centraremos en los casos específicos de los psicótropos (psilocibina, LSD y MDMA) y de plantas psicoactivasde origen tradicional, como la ayahuasca o la hoja de coca. Con una intención más reflexiva queacadémica, pero fruto de la trayectoria de los autores en la investigación y en la incidencia política eneste ámbito, este artículo perfila algunos elementos que podrían tomarse en consideración a la horade diseñar una política de drogas más centrada en la salud comunitaria y en los cuidados, que estéfundamentada en los derechos humanos, en la participación de la sociedad civil y en la evaluaciónobjetiva de las políticas públicas. (AU)

Ancient psychoactive plants in a global village: The ritual use of cannabis in a self-managed community in Catalonia.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is a plant with a rich history of medical, recreational, industrial and spiritual uses. This paper aims to explore drug use rituals as methods of community-controlled use that help maintain a self-regulated and healthy relation to the substance in questions. Furthermore, it explores how cannabis is used in developing spirituality and a sense of community. The ritual use of cannabis is discussed in the context of drug policy. METHODS: Ethnographic research methods, such as fieldwork, participant observation, in-depth interviews, and qualitative analysis, were used to research a phenomenological community in rural Catalonia, where ancient psychoactive plants (APP), such as ayahuasca and cannabis, are regularly used in a ritual context. RESULTS: Cannabis has a long history of ritual/spiritual uses and is still being used for such purposes in Catalonia. The rituals are effective harm reduction techniques and can even generate beneficial effects for the individual as well as the community by strengthening bonds between community members. The rituals associated with APP are seen as spiritual or religious practices, as well as forms of self-care and community-care, rather than involving drug dependence or addiction. CONCLUSION: The contemporary use of APP in Western societies is gaining popularity. International drug policies and the schedule of controlled drugs claim to be based on scientific evidence, but this evidence is limited. The contemporary myopic focus on the risks and harms of drugs overlooks important realities, such as the benefits of non-problematic drug use. These omissions could in part be rectified through the consideration of scientific findings from the field of ethnography regarding the spiritual and community dimensions of drug use.

Regulating Cannabis Social Clubs: A comparative analysis of legal and self-regulatory practices in Spain, Belgium and Uruguay.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs) are a model of non-profit production and distribution of cannabis among a closed circuit of adult cannabis users. CSCs are now operating in several countries around the world, albeit under very different legal regimes and in different socio-political contexts. AIM: In this paper we describe and compare the legal framework and the self-regulatory practices of Cannabis Social Clubs in three countries (Spain, Belgium, and Uruguay). The objective of our comparative analysis is to investigate how CSCs operate in each of these countries. To foster discussions about how one might regulate CSCs to promote public health objectives, we conclude this paper with a discussion on the balance between adequate governmental control and self-regulatory competences of CSCs. METHODS: The data used for this analysis stem from independently conducted local studies by the authors in their countries. Although the particular designs of the studies differ, the data in all three countries was collected through similar data collection methods: analysis of (legal and other documents), field visits to the clubs, interviews with staff members, media content analysis. FINDINGS: We identified a number of similarities and differences among the CSCs' practices in the three countries. Formal registration as non-profit association seems to be a common standard among CSCs. We found nevertheless great variation in terms of the size of these organisations. Generally, only adult nationals and/or residents are able to join the CSCs, upon the payment of a membership fee. While production seems to be guided by consumption estimates of the members (Spain and Belgium) or by the legal framework (Uruguay), the thresholds applied by the clubs vary significantly across countries. Quality control practices remain an issue in the three settings studied here. The CSCs have developed different arrangements with regards to the distribution of cannabis to their members. CONCLUSIONS: By uncovering the current practices of CSCs in three key settings, this paper contributes to the understanding of the model, which has to some extent been shaped by the self-regulatory efforts of those involved on the ground. We suggest that some of these self-regulatory practices could be accommodated in future regulation in this area, while other aspects of the functioning of the CSCs may require more formal regulation and monitoring. Decisions on this model should also take into account the local context where the clubs have emerged. Finally, the integration of medical supply within this model warrants further attention.