Richard Branson: UN wants to legalise all drugs

Branson is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Photo / Getty

Richard Branson has announced that the UN could be issuing a major drug initiative to governments around the world.

Branson wrote the statement on the homepage of Virgin in an apparent effort to force the UN to go ahead with the initiative.

In it, he says "the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which has shaped much of global drug policy for decades, [will] call on governments around the world to decriminalise drug use and possession for personal consumption for all drugs."

"I've for years argued that we should treat drug use as a health issue, not as a crime. While the vast majority of recreational drug users never experience any problems, people who struggle with drug addiction deserve access to treatment, not a prison cell."

Mr Branson has made the apparently embargoed document available for all to see on his website here.

The UNODC have denied Branson's claims, stating that it was intended to be a discussion document rather than a policy initiative for governments.