NEW YORK – A 21-member international panel is calling for a global overhaul of drug policies, saying the traditional tactics of the "war on drugs" have failed.
In a report released Tuesday, the Global Commission on Drug Policy called for legalizing some drugs such as marijuana, ending incarceration for drug use and possession, and putting greater emphasis on protecting public health.
The report pointed to rising drug production and use, despite efforts to eradicate illicit crops, jail offenders and seize large quantities of illegal narcotics.
The commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the former presidents of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland, British tycoon Richard Branson and former U.S. Federal Reserve chief Richard Branson.
