In 2009, when Transform published After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation our ideas were seen by many as visionary, but by others as fanciful. The idea that drugs could be legally regulated through practical, public-health led policies seemed a long way off.

Things are very different today.

Across the world, it has become clear that it is possible to establish systems of control, licensing and taxation which create well-managed legal markets for drugs. Of course, there are still many places where this idea seems far off - and in those countries that have reformed their laws there remains much to be done to get the details right.

But the dam has been broken.

After Blueprint, we went on to produce a guide to regulating cannabis that has influenced lawmakers and advocates across the world, and we acted as consultants for Governments of Uruguay, Canada, Luxembourg, and Mexico in designing their regulatory regimes.

We have recently produced a new guide to regulating stimulants which we believe will have the same impact. We have been supporting a recent Colombian Senate Bill to regulate coca and cocaine, and we were previously invited to address the Thai Government on options for amphetamine regulation.

We have also shaped the international debate through participation in UN forums, and collaborations with international partners including the International Drug Policy Consortium, The Global Commission on Drug Policy, The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Health Poverty Action, and our long-standing partnership with México Unido Contra Delincuencia (MUCD) in Mexico.

Transform’s story shows that, by combining a commitment to principles with the creation of practical alternatives. real change can happen.

This is just the beginning. With your support, we are confident that we can continue to drive forward. We will see the change that so many people harmed by decades of drug policy want to achieve.