roadmaps to reforming the un drug conventions - Beckley Foundation

the substantial issue in the US and other wealthy countries of medically facilitated overuseof opioids. In the present-day world, the system of surveillance and direction underthe 1961 treaty is an anachronism and an anomaly.This further option was thus carried out as an adjunct to amendment Option 2summarised in Chapter 5. If Parties were allowed to legalise markets in narcotic drugsand psychotropic substances for other than medical and scientific purposes, then thesystem for drugs covered under the 1961 Convention could be simplified by bringing itinto alignment with the market controls required for Schedule II, III and IV psychotropicsubstances under the 1971 Convention. To achieve this, changes are proposed to anumber of the controls in the 1961 Convention. These would either remove controls thathave no corresponding control under the 1971 Convention, or replace them withcontrols that mirror or closely resemble relevant controls in the 1971 Convention. Inparticular, it is proposed under this option that the estimate system established underthe 1961 Convention should be abolished, and that manufacture and import and opiumproduction limits provided for in the 1961 Convention should be removed (as the 1971Convention does not provide these measures). In addition, it is proposed that thecurrent requirements in the 1961 Convention for governments to control and establishtrade monopolies in relation to the opium poppy, coca bush and cannabis industriesshould be removed. These requirements should be replaced with less onerousrequirements for cultivation, production, trade and distribution of these drugs to belicensed and controlled by governments, as per Article 8 of the 1971 Convention(applying to manufacture, trade and distribution of Schedule II, III and IV psychotropicsubstances).The provisions of the 1961 Convention, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, that wouldneed additional or different amendments under this option (in comparison with Option2 in Chapter 5) are Articles 2, 12, 19, 21, 21 bis, 23, 26, 28, 29 and 30.2. Approach to amending the 1961 Convention in Option 3The proposed approach to amending the Conventions under Option 3 is the same asthat for Option 2 in respect of the 1971 Convention and the 1988 Convention. Theapproach is also the same under both options in respect of Articles 4(c), 9(4), 20 and 36 ofthe 1961 Convention. However, as noted above, under Option 3 different or additionalamendments are proposed of Articles 12, 19, 21, 21 bis, 23, 26(1), 28(1), 29 and 30 of the1961 Convention (along with consequential amendments of Articles 2 and 27 of theConvention).It is proposed to remove from the Convention Articles 12 and 19, which establish theestimate system, and Articles 21 and 21 bis, which impose manufacture and importlimits, and opium production limits (respectively). It is also proposed to remove Articles23, 26 and 28(1), which require opium poppy, coca bush and cannabis cultivation andtrade to be controlled and monopolised by a government agency. Instead, Article 29,which currently requires government licensing of drug manufacture (similar to therequirements of Article 8 of the 1971 Convention), should be extended to opium poppy,coca bush and cannabis cultivation. Domestic trade in those drugs should be governed60