The UN Global Commission on Drug Policy released its "War on
Drugs" report in June 2011. The report states, "The global war
on drugs has failed. When the United Nations Single Convention
on Narcotic Drugs came into being 50 years ago, and when
President Nixon launched the US government's war on drugs 40
years ago, policymakers believed that harsh law enforcement
action against those involved in drug production, distribution
and use would lead to an ever-diminishing market in controlled
drugs such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis, and the eventual
achievement of a 'drug free world'. In practice, the global
scale of illegal drug markets – largely controlled by organized
crime – has grown dramatically over this period. While accurate
estimates of global consumption across the entire 50-year period
are not available, an analysis of the last 10 years alone shows
a large and growing market. In spite of the increasing evidence
that current policies are not achieving their objectives, most
policymaking bodies at the n