1/ Who is biggest influence on drug policy in the UK & Ireland?

As far as I can see, it is the Open Society Foundation (OSF). Across UK & Ireland it funds well over a dozen NGOs, university academic departments & political groupings

In spite of its name OSF is far from open.

2/ @transparify said OSF fell into the lowest category of transparency in its 2016 report on 'Think Tanks'

That report was funded by OSF

OSF probably didn't expect spotlight on itself but there it is at v bottom of transparency list on page 16! https://www.transparify.org/publications-main

3/ Does it matter that OSF is rated "highly opaque"?

The report describes such entities as considering it "acceptable to take money from hidden hands behind closed doors."

Doesn't sound great.

But isn't OSF the vehicle of one US hedge fund billionaire?

4/ it's no secret that he supports cannabis legalization having declared that in Wall St Journal

He's also been one of the biggest funders of the v successful move to legalize in USA

While I think he's got it wrong on legalization, who knows for sure

https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2019.80.265

5/ biggest concern is the complete refusal of the drug policy community to discuss the huge influence of a tiny group of billionaires driving the international legalization agenda

Is it just a case of "don't bite the hand that feeds you"?

Media has also failed to discuss this

6/ so now we have an endless flow of reports pushing legalization from a chorus of organizations, very many funded by the opaque OSF & promoted by an invisible network of PR companies, nurturing relationships with politicians & senior journalists.

Not exactly an open society...