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Legalising the Drug Wars: A Regulatory History of UN Drug Control
Where did the regulatory underpinnings for the global drug wars come from? This book is the first fully-focused history of the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the bedrock of the modern multilateral drug control system and the focal point of global drug regulations and prohibitions. Although far from the propagator of the drug wars, the UN enabled the creation of a uniform global legal framework to effectively legalise, or regulate, their pursuit. This book thereby answers the question of where the international legal framework for drug control came from, what state interests informed its development and how complex diplomatic negotiations resulted in the current regulatory system, binding states into an element of global policy uniformity.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published November 18, 2021
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December 27, 2021
*Spoilers ahead (although I think for an academic work, a tad less important)*
John Collins “Legalising Drug War” is a tour-de-force in international drug policy. Building off of several years of archival research and Collins clear knowledge of contemporary international drug policy, “Legalising Drug War”, contests standard US-centric notions of the creation of prohibition. By following the creation of international drug law from the Opium Wars to the 1961 convention, Collins makes a pretty solid argument for why we should view account for a plurality of different actors. Further, I think this book provides a strong case for why scholars looking at drug policy, locally, nationally and internationally, need to be attentive to external issues, such as, other foreign policy goals when evaluating drug policy.
Collins briefly lays out two different visions for international drug policy, first there’s the US (and arguably China) position, which is basically full prohibition and limiting production. The British Empire/UK goal is far more pragmatic; it has particular concerns for impacts at home (e.g., costs of regulation to things like the NHS), and also in its non-Dominion colonial assets (i.e., Burma, India, Thailand & Hong Kong), the so-called, “facts on the ground”, of trying to limit opium consumption in places that have a long history of opium use. What’s really interesting here in light of Canadian drug policy debates around safe supply is the notion of quasi-medical use, or substituting illegal opium for a state-run opium market (this is covered in Chapter 2 re: Burma although there are examples in India & China too).
My only major challenge with the text is that it is a might too UK-US focused at times. Collins notes one of the limitations of his text is that he only worked with Anglo-American archival resources. But what about general history? For example, Collins notes that in 1955 Iran, which previously had played the British & American’s for chumps by pretending to make changes to its opium cultivation, does an about face and fully bans the cultivation of poppies (see Chapter 7 I believe). Why did that happen? Were one to speculate (and as not the writer of an academic text, I can do so far more freely) we might wonder about the impacts of the CIA coup in 1953 and subsequent bankrolling of the Shah by the US. Similarly, there is much discussion of the US & Mexico early CND relations, but not much about Harry Anslinger (US Federal Bureau of Narcotics; FBN) & the FBN’s role in undermining Mexican drug policy (covered in a recent book by Benjamin T. Smith, but also elsewhere earlier). If we are to judge the weight of the impact of prohibitionist policies in creating UN treaties, particularly in the post-war period, the national landscapes of these countries is fairly critical.
Similar to William McAlister’s “Drug War Diplomacy”, Harry Anslinger, plays one of the central roles in this text. What Collins adds here is a really interesting glimpse at Anslinger’s failures, especially after the formation of the CND, the loss of the old guard/inner circle. That being said, “Drug War Diplomacy” is likely an easier introduction to the topic of the history of international drug law, even if Collins points out some of its weaknesses. I found myself thinking of “Drug War Diplomacy” a lot during this text, particularly as it develops out some of the key characters, although I should note that is likely my Canadian bias. They’re both great books, and Collins adds some really interesting things to the discussion!
John Collins “Legalising Drug War” is a tour-de-force in international drug policy. Building off of several years of archival research and Collins clear knowledge of contemporary international drug policy, “Legalising Drug War”, contests standard US-centric notions of the creation of prohibition. By following the creation of international drug law from the Opium Wars to the 1961 convention, Collins makes a pretty solid argument for why we should view account for a plurality of different actors. Further, I think this book provides a strong case for why scholars looking at drug policy, locally, nationally and internationally, need to be attentive to external issues, such as, other foreign policy goals when evaluating drug policy.
Collins briefly lays out two different visions for international drug policy, first there’s the US (and arguably China) position, which is basically full prohibition and limiting production. The British Empire/UK goal is far more pragmatic; it has particular concerns for impacts at home (e.g., costs of regulation to things like the NHS), and also in its non-Dominion colonial assets (i.e., Burma, India, Thailand & Hong Kong), the so-called, “facts on the ground”, of trying to limit opium consumption in places that have a long history of opium use. What’s really interesting here in light of Canadian drug policy debates around safe supply is the notion of quasi-medical use, or substituting illegal opium for a state-run opium market (this is covered in Chapter 2 re: Burma although there are examples in India & China too).
My only major challenge with the text is that it is a might too UK-US focused at times. Collins notes one of the limitations of his text is that he only worked with Anglo-American archival resources. But what about general history? For example, Collins notes that in 1955 Iran, which previously had played the British & American’s for chumps by pretending to make changes to its opium cultivation, does an about face and fully bans the cultivation of poppies (see Chapter 7 I believe). Why did that happen? Were one to speculate (and as not the writer of an academic text, I can do so far more freely) we might wonder about the impacts of the CIA coup in 1953 and subsequent bankrolling of the Shah by the US. Similarly, there is much discussion of the US & Mexico early CND relations, but not much about Harry Anslinger (US Federal Bureau of Narcotics; FBN) & the FBN’s role in undermining Mexican drug policy (covered in a recent book by Benjamin T. Smith, but also elsewhere earlier). If we are to judge the weight of the impact of prohibitionist policies in creating UN treaties, particularly in the post-war period, the national landscapes of these countries is fairly critical.
Similar to William McAlister’s “Drug War Diplomacy”, Harry Anslinger, plays one of the central roles in this text. What Collins adds here is a really interesting glimpse at Anslinger’s failures, especially after the formation of the CND, the loss of the old guard/inner circle. That being said, “Drug War Diplomacy” is likely an easier introduction to the topic of the history of international drug law, even if Collins points out some of its weaknesses. I found myself thinking of “Drug War Diplomacy” a lot during this text, particularly as it develops out some of the key characters, although I should note that is likely my Canadian bias. They’re both great books, and Collins adds some really interesting things to the discussion!
November 6, 2023
An excessively thoroughly researched book with fascinating insights into the origins and creation of the most important drug legislation of the 20th century.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews