6.4 Chapter Summary
Key Summary Points
- The history of international drug control conventions has been a story of ever-increasing prohibition controls on the non-medicinal use of certain psychoactive drugs.
- The Single Convention (1961) consolidates numerous previous drug treaties.
- The three international drug control conventions currently in force are: the Single Convention, 1961; the Convention on Psychotropic drugs, 1971; and the Convention Against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychoactive Substances, 1988.
- Although some recent changes within the international community demonstrate support for the implementation of alternative drug policy options and a loosing of the three international treaties, several powerful Member States continue to support the status quo.
Additional Resources
Below are a list of supplementary resources for students interested in learning more about the chapter topics. These resources are NOT required course materials. A list of required course materials, beyond those found throughout this chapter, are provided on the following page.
Additional Viewings
Green Leaves. (January 15, 2021). Drug trafficking, politics and power Part 1 [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL6pJITOGwY
RC. (April 21, 2018). Martin Jelsma: Opening statement, treaties, coca leaf & cannabis prohibitions & other points [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/khGZXmVFQbU
Additional Readings
Canada’s approach to the treaty-making process. (2021). Parliament of Canada.
https://lop.parl.ca/sites/PublicWebsite/default/en_CA/ResearchPublications/200845E
International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC). (December 2023). Off track: Shadow report for the mid-term review of the 2019 Ministerial Declaration on Drugs. https://idpc.net/publications/2023/10/idpc-shadow-report-2024
United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). (July 10, 2023). Contribution by the Chair of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs To the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2023. https://hlpf.un.org/sites/default/files/vnrs/2023/HLPF%202023%20Inputs%20CND.pdf
