UN poised to call for decriminalisation of drugs, says Richard Branson

Businessman says he is breaking embargo as he fears political pressure will lead to withdrawal of statement at last minute
The Guardian (UK)
Monday, October 19, 2015

richard-branson5The United Nations is on the verge of issuing a call for all governments to decriminalise the possession and use of all drugs, according to businessman and global drugs campaigner Richard Branson. In a statement on the Virgin website, Branson has claimed that the call is included in an as-yet unreleased, embargoed statement by the UN office on drugs and crime (UNODC) and marks a “refreshing shift” from a body that has “shaped much of global drug policy for decades”. (Transform: Leaked document shows UN agency in charge of drug war wants world to decriminalise all drugs)