The European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD)
ENCOD was founded in 1993 and is a NGO (Non Governmental Organisation). It is a wide European network of about 156 organisations and individual citizens affected and concerned by current drug policies.
Among their members are Cannabis and Hemp organizations, health workers, doctors, researchers, grass root activists as well as media, companies and many individual European citizens.
According to ENCOD Current drug laws lead to the criminalisation of millions of law abiding citizens, without any evidence that this is an effective way of reducing harm caused to public health or safety. On the contrary: the illegal environment in which drug production, trade and consumption often take place creates significant harm to the health of both users and their environment.
Drug policies deprive society from benefiting from the positive applications of plants such as Hemp or Coca leaves, while they guarantee criminal profits, which, according to the UN agency in charge of drug control, can be estimated at 400 billion Euros per year.
ENCOD members believe drug prohibition should be replaced by a rational and balanced approach , based on evidence and on respect for human rights, as the only sensible way ofreducing drug related problems.
ENCOD’s Three primary objectives are:
• To improve understanding of the causes and effects of the drugs trade;
• To contribute to the elaboration of just and effective drugs control policies;
• To bring about greater consistency between drugs control efforts and economic and social policies.
