William Smith

The Beckley Foundation

The Beckley Foundation is a UK-based think tank and UN-accredited NGO, which, since its creation by Amanda Feilding in 1998, has been at the forefront of global drug policy reform and scientific research into psychoactive substances. We collaborate with leading scientific and political institutions worldwide to design and develop ground-breaking research and global policy initiatives. The aim of the Beckley Foundation is to reform this failed system using rational, evidence-based strategy. For more than 100 years, public policy has been dominated by the belief that the use of certain psychoactive substances can be eradicated through prohibition. The implementation of these policies has had catastrophic effects on societies around the world: damaging public health and well-being; creating violence, corruption, and political instability; and ruining lives through criminalisation and incarceration. Meanwhile, the availability of illegal drugs has not decreased, nor has the number of people who use them. Additionally, as a result of the arbitrary ban on these substances, research has been obstructed, leading to a lack of understanding and a dearth of effective treatments for many of our most intractable conditions. The aim of the Beckley Foundation is to reform this failed system using rational, evidence-based thinking. We are pursuing the freedom to make new scientific discoveries, and to develop new policies that focus on health, human rights, and cost-effectiveness in order to improve the lives of millions.