The Ceasefire Initiative is just a small, simple idea to begin the of end the war on drugs. There are many other campaign, policy, and lobbying groups that we support. Quite simply, if your organisation is working towards any form of drug law reform, you are our ally, and we are yours.
While we are not affiliated with any of these British groups or organisations listed below, we endorse them all, and pledge our support, and cooperation.
We urge you to lend your support to them too.
RELEASE
Website: https://www.release.org.uk
Twitter: @Release_drugs
From their website:
Release is the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law. The organisation, founded in 1967, is an independent and registered charity.
Through our services the team provides free non-judgmental, specialist advice and information to the public and professionals on issues related to drug use and to drug laws.
The organisation campaigns directly on issues that impact on our clients – it is their experiences that drive the policy work that Release does and why we advocate for evidence-based drug policies that are founded on principles of public health rather than a criminal justice approach.
Release believes in a just and fair society where drug policies should reduce the harms associated with drugs, and where those who use drugs are treated based on principles of human rights, dignity and equality.
The organisation is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, as well as being part of the Vienna NGO Committee on Narcotic Drugs (VNGOC) and the New York NGO Committee on Drugs (NYNGOC).
TRANSFORM
Website: https://transformdrugs.org
Twitter: @TransformDrugs
From their website:
Our vision is a world where drug policy promotes health, protects the vulnerable and puts safety first.
To achieve this, we educate the public and policymakers on effective drug policy; we develop and promote viable alternatives to prohibition; we provide a voice for those directly affected by drug policy failures; and we support policymakers and practitioners in achieving positive change
Our current system of drug prohibition fails everybody. That is why we believe currently illegal drugs should be legally regulated through a system of risk-based licensing.
In addition to our long-term goal, we work actively to support pragmatic changes to drug policy that can save lives today. These include police diversion schemes, overdose prevention centres and drug safety checking.
DRUG SCIENCE
Website: https://www.drugscience.org.uk
Twitter: @Drug_Science
From their website:
Drug Science works to provide an evidence base free from political or commercial influence, creating the foundation for sensible and effective drug laws, and equipping the public, media and policy makers with the knowledge and resources to enact positive change.
Founded in 2010 by Professor David Nutt following his removal from his post as Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Drug Science is the only completely independent, science-led drugs charity, uniquely bringing together leading drugs experts from a wide range of specialisms to carry out ground-breaking research into drug harms and effects.
The Scientific Committee play a vital role in society, providing the public in the UK and internationally with high quality, scientifically based information on drugs and evidence-based comment and analysis of new research. Led by founder Professor David Nutt, the committee is made up of the UKs most accomplished, respected and authoritative individuals in science, academia and policy, united with a passionate belief that the pursuit of knowledge should remain free of all political and commercial interest.
Together, they work tirelessly to emphasise the role of science in the public discourse, providing information on the actual harms and benefits of various drugs, and challenging the myths that surround drug classification and legislation in the UK.
Drug Science’s mission is founded on their efforts, and their many hours of work delivering, reviewing and investigating scientific evidence relating to psychoactive drugs, with one single minded message – to tell the truth about drugs.
ANYONE’S CHILD
Website: https://anyoneschild.org
Twitter: @anyoneschild
From their website:
Anyone’s Child: Families for Safer Drug Control is an international network of families whose lives have been wrecked by current drug laws and are now campaigning to change them.
Our politicians tell us that drugs need to be illegal to protect our children. But this is not the case. And evidence proves it.
By making drugs illegal, we have handed the market to organised crime groups, rather than the government. And these people don’t ask for ID, don’t care about who they sell to, and don’t care about what the drugs contain.
Young people will always use drugs. It’s natural for them to experiment. “Just say no” doesn’t work, and neither does punishment.
A criminal record for drug possession destroys a child’s life, ruining job prospects, their status in society, and their futures. You can read more about how current drug laws harm families in the stories section of this site.
We believe that our drug laws need to protect our children. That’s why we urgently need a new approach to keep all of our families safe.
Don’t let your child become the next casualty of the drug war. Join the campaign for legal regulation.
LEAP (Law Enforcement Action Partnership (UK))
Website: http://ukleap.org
Twitter: @UKLEAP
LEAP (Law Enforcement Action Partnership (Scotland))
Website: https://www.facebook.com/LEAPScotland/
Twitter: @LeapScotland
From their website:
Police, undercover operatives, intelligence service, military and a range of figures from the criminal justice system are joining together with civilians to raise awareness to the failed, dangerous and expensive pursuit of a punitive drug policy.
Our mission at LEAP (Law Enforcement Action Partnership) is to reduce the multitude of harmful consequences resulting from our current drug policies and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime and addiction. We’re advocates for evidence based policies with a public health focus for drugs and mental health.
CLEAR (Cannabis Law Reform)
Website: https://www.clear-uk.org
Twitter: @CLEARUK
From their website:
CLEAR is the longest-established cannabis group in the UK. Founded in 1999 it has about 3,000 paid-up members and around 700,000 followers on social media. Its principal objective is to end the prohibition of cannabis. Following the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in 2018 it now supports individual members in accessing their medicine by prescription and campaigns for adult-use legalisation.
VOLTEFACE
Website: https://volteface.me
Twitter: @VoltefaceHub
From their website:
Volteface is an advocacy organisation which seeks to reduce the harm drugs pose to individuals and society, through evidence-based policy and reform.
We cultivate fresh thinking and new ideas through our policy reports, online magazine and an ongoing programme of private and public events. We work with an array of partners across civil society, business, media and government to foster public engagement and formulate new evidence-based policy ideas. We are UK-based and focused whilst engaging with ideas and practice from across the world.
THE CONSERVATIVE DRUG POLICY REFORM GROUP
Website: https://www.cdprg.co.uk
Twitter: @CDPRGUK
From their website:
The Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG) is an evidence-based policy forum which promotes informed debate on drug policy reform. The CDPRG is not affiliated to the Conservative Party and it does not support the Conservatives nor any other party, it merely aims to draw the attention of the centre-right to the injustices and inadequacies of existing drug policy, as the demographic most averse to reform in this policy area.
LABOUR CAMPAIGN FOR DRUG POLICY REFORM
Website: https://www.labourdrugpolicy.com
Twitter: @LabourDrugRef
From their website:
This government’s drug policy is letting down the people Labour is set up to represent, whether it’s children being exploited by dealers to sell heroin on our estates, BAME people being disproportionately imprisoned for possessing cannabis, or treatment services struggling under the weight of austerity.
With governments around the world moving to harm reduction policies, and organisations such as the British Medical Journal to the Royal College of Physicians supporting reform here in the UK, we believe it’s time for the Labour grassroots to have a voice on how we approach this complex policy issue. The Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform (LCDPR) aims to provide a forum for the Labour members and supporters to debate and shape Labour’s drug policy for the future.
The Campaign’s Ambassadors will play a key role in facilitating this consultation. Each Ambassador is responsible for organising a public meeting that will ask members and voters how they would like the Labour Party’s drug policy to be reformed.
Labour members and voters can also contribute by submitting a motion to their CLP meeting, or by making an individual submission onto the LCDPR website.
The Campaign’s Expert Working Group will be responsible for turning the findings from the consultation into a concrete set of recommendations. The Chair of the Expert Working Group will then present these findings for consideration to the Labour front bench.
To achieve this end, the Campaign relies upon the engagement of Labour members and voters.
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS – CAMPAIGN TO LEGALISE CANNABIS
Website: https://www.libdems.org.uk/cannabis
Twitter: @lddpr
From their website:
Let’s Legalise Cannabis.
The Liberal Democrats want to introduce a legal, regulated market for cannabis.
Both Labour and Conservative Governments over decades has been driven by fear rather than evidence. They have failed to tackle the social and medical problems that misuse of drugs can cause to individuals and their communities.
Liberal Democrats would introduce limits on the potency levels and permit cannabis to be sold through licensed outlets to adults over the age of 18.
Back our plan to break the grip of criminal gangs and protect young people by legalising cannabis.
GREEN PARTY
Website: https://policy.greenparty.org.uk/du.html
Twitter: @GreenDrugPolicy
From their website:
To end the prohibition of drugs and create a system of legal regulation to minimise the harms associated with drug use, production and supply as part of an inclusive, supportive, socially just society.