As the debate around drug policy reform heats up globally, the city of Amsterdam finds itself at the center of this critical discussion. Led by Mayor Femke Halsema, Amsterdam has unveiled an unprecedented “health-focused manifesto” calling for the decriminalization and regulation of substances such as cocaine.
Halsema’s controversial proposal comes on the heels of a “historic” conference that brought together mayors and drug policy experts from around the world.
They argue that the decades-long “war on drugs” has completely failed and that it would be more pragmatic and humane to regulate drugs instead of relying solely on prohibition and criminalization.
The manifesto, already signed by the mayors of Bern, Switzerland and Bogota, Colombia, outlines a public health approach to dealing with drug use rather than an enforcement-only model. It calls for taking control of the drug trade away from violent criminal networks, improving community well-being, and relieving pressure on the criminal justice system.
While Halsema’s plan has faced sharp criticism from some quarters, she maintains it is a “moderate and sensible position” rooted in the realities of what is happening on the ground in Amsterdam and cities around the world.
With drug-related corruption and violence threatening to turn parts of Amsterdam into a “narco-state,” she believes bold action and an open discussion of new approaches is urgently needed.
A Failed War
“If we continue to fight drugs and drug users, we will remain caught in a never-ending war on drugs,” Halsema told the packed Dealing with Drugs conference held in Amsterdam. “If we want to fight crime and the violence associated with the drug trade, we need to take the drug market away from the criminals.“
She argued that instead of creating an unregulated free market, the answer lies in “taking a controlled, responsible approach.” Such a strategy would curb drug-fueled crime, safeguard public health, ease the burden on the criminal justice system and enhance community well-being.
The central theme underpinning the mayor’s approach is that prohibition and criminalization of drugs has completely failed. Other speakers at the conference reinforced this viewpoint.
Former Bogota mayor Claudia López contended that “no country has suffered more corruption and violence” due to the drug war than Colombia.
Meanwhile, Neil Woods, a former UK undercover narcotics agent, explained how heavy-handed law enforcement often strengthens the grip of ruthless drug gangs instead of weakening them.
The Threat of Narco-States
In an opinion piece published in The UK’s Guardian, Halsema issued an ominous warning – “the Netherlands is in danger of becoming a narco-state.”
She argues that oceans of illicit cash generated by the illegal drug trade are now “contaminating the legal economy, especially in real estate, business services and hospitality.”
Elaborating further at the conference, Halsema highlighted several chilling examples of how drug-fueled corruption and violence threatens Dutch society.
These include the murders of a lawyer, journalist and witness involved in a trial of an alleged drug kingpin. The hits were allegedly carried out by young men from disadvantaged neighborhoods who were paid a relative pittance to spend their lives behind bars.
“This is what drug money does,” Halsema told the hushed audience. Other speakers like López also warned of the extraordinary power of unchecked narco-funds to “destroy any democracy.”
Woods explained how the immense profits enable ruthless gangs to corrupt institutions and intimidate citizens into silence.
Pragmatic Reform
However, Halsema and other signatories to the manifesto believe that answers exist if leaders are willing to have open-minded discussions about pragmatic reforms.
BERN, Switzerland has already embarked on successful cannabis regulation trials after facing issues with cocaine use on city streets.
Building on his country’s progress with needle exchanges and methadone treatment, Mayor Alec von Graffenried said they are now “looking for new success with the cocaine regularisation strategy.”
Likewise, regulation models can generate tax revenues to fund prevention and treatment programs argued Pavel Bém, the former mayor of Prague, Czech Republic. Bém emphasized the critical need to channel drug-related economic benefits away from criminals and towards citizens.
While acknowledging they were “preaching to the choir”, Halsema and her fellow mayors feel that cities can lead the way by pioneering and testing new approaches.
She expressed hope that the Amsterdam conference had opened the door for more honest conversations on crafting “humane, civilized and effective drug policies.”
No Other Way
Nevertheless, considerable political and social barriers remain for fundamental drug law reforms. As Halsema noted wryly, when asked about the conference, the Dutch Justice Minister replied that drugs were “not an issue.“
But as the lively debates and presentations throughout the day demonstrated, more human-centered and health-focused drug regulations represent the “only way we can go” for cities like Amsterdam. Maintaining the status quo or intensifying enforcement efforts will only exacerbate vicious cycles of violence and corruption.
What the Amsterdam conference underscored is that mayors on the front-lines of the drug war have long realized the disastrous impacts of a punitive approach.
And they have joined public health experts and law enforcement critics in calling for drastic changes by replacing failed 20th-century policies with progressive, pragmatic 21st-century reforms.
Rather than being seen as radical, the manifesto’s urgent appeal for decriminalization and regulation of illegal drugs is based on ethical, evidence-based and humanitarian principles.
With the war on drugs transforming prosperous cities into narco-states, new approaches rooted in health, safety and community wellness present the last and best hope for redeeming a generation lost to this ongoing and unnecessary crisis.
