Reducing drug-related harms through a new Reform Collaboratory
Governments have long sought to prevent harms through a policy of prohibition, where drug use is criminalised. The guiding logic of prohibition is that drugs are inherently harmful. We now know that while drugs can be associated with harm, the relationship is complex, with many harms driven by prohibition itself.
Globally, governments are now acknowledging the failings of prohibition, leading to a growing reform movement. For example:
- Portugal has decriminalised the possession and use of all drugs
- Thailand has decriminalised cannabis.
- Parts of the United States have legalised and regulated cannabis and introduced reforms for psilocybin.
- Germany has adopted a partial legalisation model for cannabis
- Netherlands permits regulated retail cannabis sales.
Australia has also introduced some reforms (e.g. medicinal cannabis was legalised in 2016; the ACT legalised cannabis in 2019), but these reforms are piecemeal. Inquiries held in Victoria (2018), the ACT, NSW and WA (all 2019) have all explored reform, with others planned (e.g. a parliamentary inquiry in Victoria into a bill to regulate adult cannabis use in 2025), but progress is slow and tools to help government navigate this sensitive area are needed.
Affected communities are increasingly claiming their fundamental, inalienable human rights (e.g. the right to health) and arguing these rights are not being upheld, reinforcing the urgent need for a new approach. Why have Australian jurisdictions failed to act on the near unanimous recommendations of experts and heartfelt calls from peer advocates and affected families? Australia lacks a practical, considered roadmap for moving towards less punitive, more rights-centred approaches. Without one, governments and communities lack a unifying understanding of the issues and how to address them, essentially blocking necessary change.
To help address these challenges, a new Australian Research Council (ARC) funded project, Reducing drug-related harms in Australia through a new Reform Collaboratory, has commenced under the leadership of Professor Kate Seear in partnership with the Australian Alcohol and Other Drugs Council, Family Drug Support, the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League, and Harm Reduction Australia. The project aims to support the development of practical and rights-centred approaches to drug law and policy reform in Australia. You can read more about the project here.
Across the coming years, the project will involve five phases:
Phase 1:
Development of a new and comprehensive legal database of drug law on the books and law in practice.
Phase 2:
Expert interviews with experts, advocates, policy and law makers, and affected communities
Phase 3:
Development of a Reform Collaboratory: a space for dialogue, co-design, and collaboration to identify key pressure points where rights are being infringed and in urgent need of reform.
Phase 4:
Professional development and public engagement activities focused on pathways to reform
Phase 5:
A National Law Reform Convention bringing together national and international perspectives on drug policy reform.
The project has now commenced, with a number of activities already underway to establish the research, advisory, and collaborative foundations of the work. This has included:
- The appointment of two postdoctoral research fellows, Dr Alejandra Zuluaga and Dr Sean Mulcahy
- The establishment of the project advisory board, with representatives from the four industry partners
- The development of the Reform Collaboratory
- The recruitment of PhD students, with further details to be announced soon.
We will share more details about this project in coming months. In the meantime, you can get in touch using the details on our contact page for more information.