WHEREAS, there is an organized and well-funded movement in the United States and other countries to legalize or decriminalize drugs using strategies of medical marijuana, industrial hemp, harm reduction, and needle exchange; and

WHEREAS, the United Nations Economic and Social Council has expressed concern about the trend towards the development of lenient policies relating to cannabis and other drugs that are not in accordance with international drug control treaties, and that such trends may have a negative impact on efforts being made to eradicate cannabis cultivation and to combat drug trafficking; (“Efforts to Counter the Trend Towards the Legalization of Drugs for Non-medical Use,” U.N, Economic and Social Council, 44th plenary meeting, 22 July 2003); and

WHEREAS, the International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy has issued a statement opposing “harm reduction” strategies that undermine “drug prevention efforts and messages by taking advantage of drug addiction and deadly diseases like HIV to advance the political agenda of drug legalization lobbyists and billionaire advocates” (“Statement on So-Called ‘Harm Reduction’ Policies,” International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy, Brussels, Belgium, March 1, 2005); and

WHEREAS, lenient drug policies in one country can adversely impact the flow of drugs into neighboring countries by increasing the level of cross-border drug trafficking; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly urges all countries to reject efforts to legalize drugs or pursue policies of “harm reduction” that are inconsistent with international drug control treaties and harmful to cross-border drug enforcement efforts in neighboring countries.