FAAAT think & do tank

For Alternative Approaches to Addiction, Think & do tank (FAAAT), often shortened to FAAAT think & do tank, is an international non-profit organization created in 2015 and registered in France,[2] with office in Paris (France). In May 2019 the organization started the process towards the discontinuation of its activities on 31 December 2019.

For Alternative Approaches to Addiction, Think & do tank (FAAAT think & do tank)
FoundedFebruary 2016
FounderFarid Ghehiouèche, Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli,[1] Michael Krawitz.
DissolvedDecember 2019
Legal statusFormer Non-profit organization
FocusReform of drug and substance use-related policies.
Location
OriginsLaunched by NORMLfr, VMCA & ENCOD
Area served
Worldwide
President of the Board
Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli
Main organ
Permanent Committee
Websitewww.faaat.net

The aim of FAAAT to impulse and support research and ground-up policy alternatives in the field of addiction, drug use and substance abuse, and to enhance civil society interaction with policymakers at international level, through social engineering and collective action. According to their website, FAAAT supports "Transparent and measurable drug policies framed by fundamental rights, grounded on sustainable development, enforcing empowerment, social justice and health" and "supports the development of a legally controlled market for cannabis."[3] FAAAT works both at the local level in several European countries, and develops actions close to the international institutions relevant on drug policy issues.[4][5]

Background

FAAAT's vision is that, from the local up to the international level, public policies related to controlled drugs should be transparent and measurable, framed by the Fundamental human rights of citizens, grounded on sustainable development, and that can empower the whole society while enforcing social justice and protecting health. The think-tank part of FAAAT researches rigorous and ethical policy alternatives to the ones nowadays enforced, and take action through social engineering, collective action and advocacy for ground-up democratic reformers at all level.

The project FAAAT was started in August 2015, and legally registered in February 2016 by drug policy reform advocates that had been previously operating together at international level, in particular at the frequent meetings of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Most come from the French chapter of NORML, and the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies,[6] but also from the US Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access.

The organisation collaborates with a large network of experts, contributors,[7] professionals and public figures. FAAAT holds annual conferences at the regular sessions of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, organizes exhibits,[8] apart from being regularly present to lobby or deliver statements.[9]

Do-tank: Advocacy programs and actions

The organization claims two goals are structuring its actions (the so-called do-tank), "take action to ground the updates of international drug policy on sustainable development, human rights, transparency, and inclusiveness" and "strengthen peer groups, social movements and the nonprofit sector to increase knowledge, sustainability, effectiveness, and capacity for collective action on drug-related issues."

Leadership of FAAAT think and do tank during the closure of the International Cannabis Policy Conference 2018. From left to right: Farid Ghehiouèche, Hanka Gabrielová, Amy Case King, Michael Krawitz and Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli.

As such, FAAAT has been essentially active at the multilateral and international level (including at the European Union level[10]). FAAAT has also supported local advocacy groups (such as the Catalan Network of People who Use Drugs CATNPUD,[11] the rural cannabis farmers of the Ghomara and Senhaja people of the Moroccan central Riff[12] or the French platform of NGOs for the reform of drug policies[13]).

FAAAT also works to foster exchange of data and know-hows between politics, scholars and civil society stakeholders[14] on drug-related policies and field practices.[15]

The organization follows-up the work of the United Nations and international organizations (such as the INCB, UNODC or WHO) and regularly addresses international policymakers on drug-related issues, in particular the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs through oral[16] or written statements,[17] by showcasing policy models[18] or by organizing fora and symposia (such as the Legal Regulations fora[19][20][21][22] or the International Cannabis Policy Conference at the United Nations[23]).

The organization works closely with the official consultative bodies towards the United Nations: NYNGOC (New-York NGO Committee on Drugs) and VNGOC (Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs). FAAAT is also a founding member of the IMCPC (International Medical Cannabis Patients Coalition) and the Geneva Platform on Human Rights, Health and Psychoactive Substances.

More broadly, FAAAT holds a blog and informs media and local communities about key policy issues.[24]

Conferences
Logo of the series of events organized in the United Nations Office at Vienna.

Think-tank: Research on alternative drug policies
Hanka Gabrielová presenting FAAAT's Discussion Paper "Cannabis & Sustainable Development" during the Emerald Cup, December 2018.

Although mainly focusing on international cannabis policy, the research department of FAAAT (so-called think-tank) claims to "impulse a modern approach to the categorification of "drugs": renew terminology, taxonomy & scheduling to review the biochemical paradigm of drug use" and pretends to "shift drug policies towards evidence and effectiveness: enhancing positive drug-related programs and actions from the ground."[29]

As such, five main axis of research appear:

  • A follow-up of geopolitical evolutions of international drug control policies and related agreements. During the preparations of the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session dedicated to the world drug phenomenon, Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli, head of research of FAAAT, was the only personality in Spain to endorse the Drug Policy Alliance open letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,[30] along with the former Director-General of UNESCO Federico Mayor Zaragoza and the former EU High Representative on common foreign and security policies Javier Solana. FAAAT also took part to the civil society mobilisations through different canals to raise awareness[31][32] around that key UN summit.
  • An important work of the think-tank has been the research and analysis surrounding the WHO process of scientifically reviewing cannabis for purposes of scheduling under the international drug control Treaties[33][34] where FAAAT has encouraged the WHO to take action, and fuelled civil society,[35] researchers and physicians[36] involvement in the process. According to the British Medical Journal, once the definitive results of the WHO reviews of cannabis for international scheduling was made public early 2019, FAAAT considered that the outcome was "positive" and "clearly acknowledges medical applications of cannabis and cannabinoids, reintegrates them into pharmacopoeias, balances harms and [effectively] repeals the WHO position from 1954 according to which ‘there should be efforts towards the abolition of cannabis from all legitimate medical practice.’".[37]
  • FAAAT considers that drug policies that enforce prohibition violate a series of fundamental human rights. Research is also being undertaken on this topic, and leads to outputs such as the submission of contributions to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.[38]
  • The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its numerous correlations with cannabis policies and laws, is the latest area explored by FAAAT research department.[39]
The Spanish NGO platform Regulación Responsable where FAAAT served as international policy advisory organ
  • Besides international policy, one of the important task of the organization has been to popularize ground-up, peer-based and locally oriented models of legally regulated drug markets, in particular through the promotion of Appellations of Origin[40] to protect traditional farmers knowledge in producing countries, or the so-called cannabis social club model for consumer countries, through the edition of advocacy documents[41] or the organisation of workshops within the United Nations[42] on the broader modalities of application of such model.

Publications

FAAAT is registered as an editor at the French national registry, and showcases its publications on its website.[43] Remarked publications are:

  • Cannabis & Sustainable Development. Paving the way for the next decade in Cannabis and hemp policy. Recommendations for the implementation of Cannabis policies aligned with international Human Rights standards, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2016 UNGASS outcome document. ISBN 979-10-97087-06-7. Full PDF available online
  • The Crimson Digest, Volume 1. Briefing on the international scientific assessment of cannabis: processes, stakeholders and history. ISBN 979-10-97087-06-7. PDF available online
  • The Crimson Digest, Volume 2. Analysis of the WHO cannabis reviews outcomes, and the INCB's report on Cannabis. ISBN 979-10-97087-07-4. PDF available online
  • ECDD40 Procedural, methodological and terminological bias. Joint Civil Society Contribution to the 40th Meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence. ISBN s/n.
  • Cannabis Social Club: Policy for the XXIst century. English: ISBN 979-10-97087-11-1, French: ISBN 979-10-97087-12-8, Spanish: ISBN 979-10-97087-13-5.

Civil society partners

See also

References
  1. Macronne, Emmanuel (13 November 2018). "Entretien avec Kenzi Riboulet, co-fondateur de la FAAAT". Soft Secrets France.
  2. "French National Register of Non-profit associations". French government's direction de l'information légale et administrative. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  3. "FAAAT homepage and presentation". FAAAT. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  4. Aristos Georgiou (8 February 2019). "WHO RECOMMENDS RESCHEDULING CANNABIS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW FOR FIRST TIME IN HISTORY". Newsweek. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  5. "FAAAT UN drug control system posts category". Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  6. Hurÿsek, Lukáš (1 July 2017). "Osobnost Legalizace: Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli". Legalizace!. p. 66.
  7. "FAAAT think & do tank at International Centre for Science in Drug Policy". ICSDP (International Centre for Science in Drug Policy).
  8. Farid Ghehiouèche (18 March 2017). "Legal Regulations Exhibition on Drug Consumption Rooms, building consensus around what works". Global Platform for Drug Consumption Rooms. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  9. "Follow-up process of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem (UNGASS 2016), Statement of the NGO FAAAT to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on operational recommendations of the UNGASS 2016 outcome document" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  10. European Commission Transparency Register. "Lobby Register of the NGO FAAAT think & do tank". European Commission. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  11. Antoniu Llort (22 July 2016). "21 de Juliol Dia de Record i Homenatge a les Víctimes per Drogues. ARSU-CATNPUD a Barcelona". Servei de Drogodependencies de Reus. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  12. FAAAT (5 July 2017). "Morocco & cannabis: civil society gets organized to prepare the post-prohibition". FAAAT. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  13. AIDES, FAAAT, Fédération Addictions, Médecins du Monde, NORML France (11 December 2018). "Dix ans de politiques répressives contre la drogue en France et ailleurs : quel bilan ?". Politis.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. Aurélien Bernard (2 March 2017). "Grand oral de l'élection présidentielle au Conservatoire National des Arts & Métiers : les points de vue des candidats sur le cannabis". NewsWeed.
  15. Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM) (5 May 2017). "La Suisse est-elle un modèle ?". Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Sciences de l'Action (LIRSA), CNAM. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  16. Amy Case King, FAAAT associate (16 November 2017). "Statement delivered to the 6th Intersessional meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, about the "way forward and preparations for the 62nd session of the CND in 2019", Nov. 16th 2017". Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  17. Kenzi RIBOULET ZEMOULI, head of research, FAAAT, Spain, and Farid GHEHIOUÈCHE, head of advocacy, FAAAT, France. (27 October 2016). "Statement to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs for its Intersessional Meeting, Vienna, October 27th 2016, on Operational recommendations of the UNGASS 2016 outcome document" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 18 December 2018.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. Cannabis Social Club International Proposal Group (1 January 2016). "Cannabis Social Club: Policy for the XXIst Century". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  19. UNITED NATIONS JOURNAL, Commission on Narcotic Drugs Sixtieth session (15 March 2017). "Legal Regulations Fora: Involving Broad Stakeholders" (PDF). Commission on Narcotic Drugs Sixtieth session, Journal nº3, SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS – WEDNESDAY, 15 March 2017. p. 3.
  20. UNITED NATIONS JOURNAL, Commission on Narcotic Drugs Sixtieth session (16 March 2017). "Human Rights and Drug Control: Hierarchy of Norms and Flexibility for Member States" (PDF). Commission on Narcotic Drugs Sixtieth session, Journal nº4, SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS – THURSDAY, 16 March 2017. p. 3.
  21. UNITED NATIONS JOURNAL, Commission on Narcotic Drugs Sixtieth session (16 March 2017). "Legal Regulations Fora: The Urgency to Move Ahead" (PDF). Commission on Narcotic Drugs Sixtieth session, Journal nº4, SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS – THURSDAY, 16 March 2017. p. 4.
  22. Collective (16 January 2017). "Legal Regulations Fora 2017: moving toward a future in which drug policies make consensus". FAAAT think & do tank.
  23. Brittany Somerset, Sara (17 December 2018). "Is The United Nations Finally Coming Around About Cannabis?". Forbes.
  24. Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli (1 December 2016). "Amid Drug-War Chaos, France is Reconsidering Its Cannabis Policies". Leafly News. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  25. Conference « Introduction to Cannabis Social Clubs » at the United Nations' 59th session of the Commission on Narcotic drugs
  26. UNITED NATIONS JOURNAL, Commission on Narcotic Drugs Fifty-ninth session (17 March 2016). "Introduction to Cannabis Social Clubs" (PDF). Commission on Narcotic Drugs Fifty-ninth session, Journal nº4, SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS – THURSDAY, 17 March 2016. p. 4.
  27. Ginsberg, Natalie Lyla (1 April 2018). "The Right to Science and Freedom of Research with Scheduled Substances: MAPS at the United Nations 61st Commission on Narcotic Drugs". MAPS Bulletin, Spring 2018: Vol 28, No. 1 Special Edition: Breakthrough. p. 27.
  28. Brittany Somerset, Sara (17 December 2018). "Is The United Nations Finally Coming Around About Cannabis?". Forbes.
  29. FAAAT (27 November 2018). "Our Goals". FAAAT. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  30. Drug Policy Alliance (14 April 2016). "A Public Letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (with list of signatories in Spain on the right-side column)". Drug Policy Alliance. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  31. French NGO plateform on international drug policies (21 April 2016). "Mauvaise "pass" pour l'UNGASS ? Communiqué de presse de la plateforme française des ONG travaillant sur les politiques internationales en matière de drogues". Chanvre & Libertés – NORML France. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  32. International Drug Policy Consortium and +200 NGOs (14 April 2016). "The UNGASS outcome document: Diplomacy or denialism? Civil Society Statement". International Drug Policy Consortium.
  33. Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli (1 January 2017). "La marihuana en la agenda de la OMS – ISSN 9975-4045, CAÑAMO Nº. 229 págs. 28-28". Revista Cañamo. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  34. Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli (20 March 2017). "La marihuana en la agenda de la OMS – Mexico". Revista Cáñamo Mexico. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  35. Alfredo Pascual (7 December 2018). "WHO postpones recommendation for rescheduling cannabis at UN summit". Marijuana Business Daily.
  36. Franjo Grotenhermen, MD (25 November 2018). "IACMBulletin of 25 November 2018". IACM – International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  37. Susan Mayor (5 February 2019). "WHO proposes rescheduling cannabis to allow medical applications – BMJ: first published as 10.1136/bmj.l574 on 5 February 2019". British Medical Journal. doi:10.1136/bmj.l574. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  38. Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli and Farid Ghehiouèche (2018). "Contribution of FAAAT think & do tank for the report of the High Commissioner on Human Rights for the 39th session of the Human Rights Council, pursuant to resolution HRC 37/42. 57 years of Global and Systematic Human Rights violations in the name of "drug control" Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law" (PDF). United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  39. Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli (2018). "Linking cannabis policy to the UN sustainable development goals". Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  40. Michael Krawitz, on behalf of Veterans for Medical Cannabis Access (VMCA) Mendocino Appellations Project (MAP) International Cannabis Farmers Association (ICFA) For Alternative Approaches for Addiction, Think and do tank (FAAAT) (15 November 2018). "The Importance of Appellations of Origin to the Successful Therapeutic Model of Whole Plant Cannabis, Follow-up on Civil Society Cannabis pre-review input" (PDF). FAAAT. Retrieved 18 December 2018.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. "Contribution to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem (UNGASS 2016). Cannabis Social Club international proposal group "A policy for the XXIst Century?"". United Nations General Assembly secretariat. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  42. Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty; Regulación Responsable, Chanvre & Libertés-NORML France; Fundación Renovatio; Foundation ICEERS and FAAAT (17 March 2016). "Introduction to Cannabis Social Clubs, in SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS of the COMMISSION ON NARCOTIC DRUGS, FIFTY-NINTH SESSION, REGULAR SEGMENT (page 4)". Board of the 59th Commission on Narcotic Drugs. Missing or empty |url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. FAAAT (17 March 2016). "FAAAT think & do tank publications portal". FAAAT.
  44. Fédération Addiction (18 April 2017). "Politiques de régulations légales des drogues – 4 vidéos réalisées à la Commission des Stupéfiants de l'ONU". Fédération Addiction. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
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