Drug reform defeated?

The drug reform committee established in 2018 by the Solberg government recommended decriminalizing drug use. We place the reform proposal in a historical context with an emphasis on the use of research-based knowledge. Data are the consultation statements (N = 247). Norwegian drug policy reflects a vision where health and criminal justice would co-operate harmoniously. Since the 1970s, social science researchers have warned against disproportional police responses and stigmatization. These concerns were largely ignored, but became politically relevant with the emergence of drug user organizations. Such concerns were raised by the user organizations which supported the reform. Police and prosecution authorities, however, warned that the reform could lead to increased drug use. The reform's supporters argued that the claimed preventive effect lacked sufficient evidence to justify the current policy, given its likely negative consequences. The reform's opponents saw the uncertainty as an argument against decriminalization, since increased use could not be ruled out - a worry often substantiated with references to researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. We find few mentions of Norwegian "opposition research" into the costs of criminalization. However, advocates of reform referred to statements from the United Nations and the Convention on Human Rights.