Fifty years ago, a war on drugs was launched. Its aim was to irradicate drugs by stopping the supply and punishing use. That war has failed as drug use is more prevalent than ever before. Hundreds of thousands die from overdoses, prisons are clogged with users, and the cost to the economy and society is devastating.

But attitudes are changing. Twenty years after Portugal set the global standard by decriminalising the possession of all drugs, Oregan has become the first state in the US to follow that lead. With tax proceeds from legal cannabis sales going to drug healthcare programmes, the attitude has started to shift from making drugs a criminal issue to a healthcare one.

In this episode, we speak to the Oregon lawmakers, and drug reformers in the US and the UK about what is being done and what's next. And Joao Goulao - the doctor who established the Portuguese drug reform model 20 years ago - explains the huge success that Portugal has experienced because of these reforms.

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Show notes and transcription:
DEF077 - Show Notes

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Timestamps:
Coming soon…

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