TalkingDrugs | Drug Information, Issues, Stories & News

A woman standing in front of a kaleidoscope pattern.

The Representation Crisis: Who is the Psychedelic Revolution Really For?

This is Part 1 in a two-part series about the lack of representation in psychedelic research. This first part explores the history of medical bias that continues to systematically exclude…

Noor Vissram

.

Jul 29, 2026

Personal Stories

Cuckooing: How Drug Dealers Are Occupying UK Homes

In the UK, the practice of “cuckooing” has become increasingly prominent, particularly through its highly mediatised connection to county-line drug cases, where drug sellers sell substances across wide regions. Cuckooing…

Liam Knowles

.

Jul 23, 2026

A magic mushroom shop front in Ottowa, Canada.

Psychedelics

Psilocy-win?: Canadian MPs Push for Psychedelic Therapy

On 16 June, Conservative Member of the Canadian Parliament Corey Tochor announced the introduction of legislation pushing for improved access to psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms. The new…

Patrick McConnell

.

Jul 17, 2026

Latest Stories

Drugs & Gender Psychedelics

The Representation Crisis: The Problem in the Medicalised Psychedelics Model

Noor Vissram

.

Jul 29, 2026

This is Part 2 in a two-part series about the lack of representation in psychedelic research. Part 1 explores the…

The neighbourhood of Santafé in Bogotá, Colombia.

Coca & Cocaine Drug Harm Reduction

‘Violence is our daily bread here’: Rethinking Harm Reduction from the Streets of Colombia

Sam Shirley-Beavan

.

Jul 16, 2026

What do we mean by drug-related harm? For those of us working in harm reduction, that is an essential question…

Cannabis Drug Policy

From Sacred to Illegal: Inside India’s Cannabis Debate

Niko Vorobyov

.

Jul 14, 2026

In the cedar forest mountains outside Manali, a tourist town in the Kullu Valley of the Indian Himalayas, Ajay* plies…

Nigerian flags flying in front of a state building.

Drug Harm Reduction Drug Policy

‘Not in the Room’: Nigeria’s New Harm Reduction Masterplan Excludes Reformers

Ryan Hesketh

.

Jul 10, 2026

Nigeria is currently finalising the document that will shape its drug policy for the next five years. The fifth National…

Language matters.

The words we use to describe drugs and the people that take them has a real and deep impact. From stigmatising labels, to being accused of murdering someone,

This month, we’re bringing together our stories that focus on on how language can shape our lives and futures.

View All Posts

Drugs & Gender Psychedelics

The Representation Crisis: The Problem in the Medicalised Psychedelics Model

Noor Vissram

.

Jul 29, 2026

This is Part 2 in a two-part series about the lack of representation in psychedelic research. Part 1 explores the…

Drugs & Gender Psychedelics

The Representation Crisis: Who is the Psychedelic Revolution Really For?

Noor Vissram

.

Jul 29, 2026

This is Part 1 in a two-part series about the lack of representation in psychedelic research. This first part explores…

The entrance of a prison through barred gates.

Drug Harm Reduction

Beyond the Prison Gate: Why Harm Reduction Belongs in Prison

Matilde De Sousa Cristóvão

.

Jul 9, 2026

Drug use does not stop at the prison gate. In fact, around 4 in 10 people entering prison have a…

The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs by Kojo Koram book cover.

Drug Policy

Book Review: “The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs” by Kojo Koram

Carrie Lou Hamilton

.

Jun 22, 2026

As a legal intern in 2012, Kojo Koram was sent to visit clients in Angola – not the country, but…

Drug Trafficking Stimulants

From Golden Crescent to Crystal Crescent: The Making of Balochistan’s New Meth Economy

David McNeill

.

Jun 3, 2026

When we think about Afghanistan and drugs, one substance comes to mind: opium. Indeed, the country has essentially had a…

Resources

Drug Policy

The Decriminalisation Playbook: New UNAIDS Report Lays Out Pathway for HIV Response

André Gomes

.

Mar 16, 2026

For decades, the global “war on drugs” has been sold as what’s best for public health: by harshly criminalising drug…

Drug Harm Reduction Opioids

Orphines: A Rising Group of Synthetic Opioids

Emily Andrews

.

Jan 27, 2026

For the past decade, the world has seen an unprecedented explosion in synthetic drug production and distribution, particularly of synthetic…

White pills in the middle of roasted coffee beans.

Drug Harm Reduction Stimulants

Could Stimulant Replacement Therapy Reduce Cocaine and Stimulant Harms?

Tom Fresen

.

Nov 18, 2025

Stimulant deaths around the world are on the rise. In the UK, the number of deaths involving cocaine is 11…

Drug Policy Drugs & Development

UNDP Report Calls for Drug Market Reforms to Achieve Global Development Goals

André Gomes

.

Sep 19, 2025

The latest report published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is challenging governments to rethink their approach to drug…

Drug Harm Reduction Other Drugs

Alpha-PVP: What Is It, and Key Harm Reduction Tips

Noor Vissram

.

Oct 23, 2024

Alpha-PyrrolidinoValeroPhenone (also known as alpha-PVP) is a relatively recent New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) in global circulation. While previously prominent in…

Drugs & Gender Psychedelics

We Need More Research into Ketamine Use By Women and Gender-Diverse People

Isabelle Gius

.

Oct 21, 2024

On 20 June, in honour of World Psychedelics Day, the Women and Harm Reduction International Network (WHRIN) and TalkingDrugs published…

The Representation Crisis: Who is the Psychedelic Revolution Really For?

Cuckooing: How Drug Dealers Are Occupying UK Homes

Psilocy-win?: Canadian MPs Push for Psychedelic Therapy

Latest Stories

The Representation Crisis: The Problem in the Medicalised Psychedelics Model

‘Violence is our daily bread here’: Rethinking Harm Reduction from the Streets of Colombia

From Sacred to Illegal: Inside India’s Cannabis Debate

‘Not in the Room’: Nigeria’s New Harm Reduction Masterplan Excludes Reformers

Most Popular

Is Ibiza the Disneyland of Drugs?

Global Drug Decriminalisation Map: 29 countries. 49 models of drug decriminalisation

Does Grapefruit Juice Make MDMA Stronger?

Language Matters: Is My Country a “Narco-state”?

Report: Global Drug Trafficking Market Worth Half a Trillion Dollars

Health Risks Associated with Mephedrone Use: What We Know So Far

Futuro Coca: Imagining a New Future for Coca in Colombia

Tali-Ban: How Europe’s Heroin Markets Will Survive Afghanistan’s Opium

Language matters.

The Representation Crisis: The Problem in the Medicalised Psychedelics Model

The Representation Crisis: Who is the Psychedelic Revolution Really For?

Beyond the Prison Gate: Why Harm Reduction Belongs in Prison

Book Review: “The Next Fix: The Winners and Losers in the Future of Drugs” by Kojo Koram

From Golden Crescent to Crystal Crescent: The Making of Balochistan’s New Meth Economy

Resources

The Decriminalisation Playbook: New UNAIDS Report Lays Out Pathway for HIV Response

Orphines: A Rising Group of Synthetic Opioids

Could Stimulant Replacement Therapy Reduce Cocaine and Stimulant Harms?

UNDP Report Calls for Drug Market Reforms to Achieve Global Development Goals

Alpha-PVP: What Is It, and Key Harm Reduction Tips

We Need More Research into Ketamine Use By Women and Gender-Diverse People