INTERNATIONAL DRUG POLICY REFORM ‘PATHWAY TO REFORM' TO HOST GLOBAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS NEXT WEEK IN AUCKLAND

International drug policy symposium PATHWAY TO REFORM will take place in Auckland next week at The Nathan Club on Thursday, 20th March.

PATHWAY TO REFORM will see world leaders, academics, New Zealand Government MP’s and officials come together to review and discuss the Psychoactive Substances Act and the global drug policy reform movement.

Due to the recent passing of this Act, the New Zealand government has received international recognition for this innovative policy solution to the global challenge of contemporary drug use.

The PATHWAY TO REFORM symposium will not only provide an opportunity to discuss the successes and challenges that New Zealand has seen due to the reform, but also the vision that the New Zealand government holds for the future.

A long list of international experts are due to speak at the symposium including Amanda Feilding (UK), Ethan Nadelmann (USA), Dr. Brian Emerson (CANADA), Fiona Patten (AUSTRALIA) and Rick Doblin Ph.D (USA). As follows:

AMANDA FEILDING

Amanda Feilding is the founder of the UN-accredited Beckley Foundation which is exploring ways to develop evidence-based, harm-reducing and cost-effective drug policies that respect human rights. She is a significant figure in the global movement to reform drug policy and continues to push the boundaries of consciousness research. Beckley is engaged in consulting directly with world leaders on drug policy reform. Having already produced over 40 influential books, reports and briefing papers on key policy issues, Amanda is currently working on two seminal books; ‘Illicit Drugs: Reducing Harms Through Regulation’ and ‘Coca, Cocaine & Derivatives: Harm Reduction through Regulation’.

Website: http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/

ETHAN NADELMANN

Founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Dr. Ethan Nadelmann has played a pivotal role in most of the major drug policy reform ballot initiative campaigns in the U.S.A. From medical marijuana and marijuana legalisation to prison reform, drug treatment and asset forfeiture reform. The DPA have led and assisted various successful campaigns to reform state and federal laws. These have involved drug sentencing, access to treatment, prevention of overdose fatalities, and marijuana policy.

Website: http://www.drugpolicy.org/staff-and-board/staff/ethan-nadelmann-executive-director

DR. BRIAN EMERSON

Dr. Brian Emerson is the Chair of the Health Officers Council of BC (HOC) Psychoactive Substances Committee; a role in which he has coordinated a number of papers on public health approaches to psychoactive substances. He recently participated in the development of a national strategy for Canada on reducing harms associated with pharmaceutical psychoactive substances and is co-author of a paper on a public health approach to cannabis regulation. In his role as a medical consultant in population and public health with the British Columbia Ministry of Health, Dr. Emerson has been closely involved in Canadian alcohol, illegal and pharmaceutical psychoactive drug policy reform.

FIONA PATTEN

As CEO of the Eros Association and president of the Australian Sex Party, Fiona Patten represents a variety of businesses trading in social tonics - an industry valued in excess of $70 million. She has been at the forefront of the debate on social tonics, arguing for regulation and control in meetings with state and federal Ministers, Australian police and health bureaucrats. While the Australian government is reluctant to shift policy, Ms. Patten has been a leading proponent for reform and continued to develop a range of self-regulatory models to ensure compliance and public safety.

RICK DOBLIN

Rick Doblin Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS; maps.org). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and cannabis. His Master's thesis was a survey of oncologists about medical cannabis for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyse religious experiences. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner.

Pathway to Reform

20th March 2014 at The Nathan Club, Auckland CBD

Tickets for sale here: http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2014/pathway-to-reform/auckland

Follow us on Twitter @TheStarTrust (hashtag #pathway2reform), and link in on Facebook to The STAR Trust. The event will be streamed live at www.thestartrust.org.

© Scoop Media