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The war on drugs is an ecological disaster and a serious barrier to climate change adaptation, mitigation and justice. People have always used drugs for pain relief, pleasure and as part of cultural practices. However, governments spend billions of dollars trying to create a drug-free world. Instead, they remove competition and create super cartels. At the same time, the most vulnerable people in society are stigmatised, criminalised and prosecuted because their livelihoods and culture depend on growing and transporting drugs. Prohibition has created unregulated, untaxed and purely profit-driven trade, empowering criminal cartels with corrupt government officials protecting their powers. Much of the world’s drug production and trafficking occurs in vital ecosystems for the planet’s survival, such as the Amazon rainforest. Multi-billion-dollar businesses operating in these areas without regulation and accountability threaten the chances of saving these areas. Their money is continually reinvested in illegal logging and practices that destroy ecosystems. Join us as we explore ways to move from a prohibitionist approach to people-centred policies that prioritises the planet and climate justice.
