Each year’s report comments on a special theme. Freedom from pain and suffering is the focus of this report. The paper contains recommendations for reviewing drug dispensing systems so that needed drugs can be made accessible for medical purposes, subject to safeguards to minimize misuse. The paper reviews the popularity of cannabis, the drug production scene in South America, psychotropic substances and their misuse, narco-terrorism, and money laundering. Some countries have made progress in combating drug use. For example, Sri Lanka has made efforts to implement recommendations of a task force on law enforcement, has created the Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations Against Drug Abuse, and finalized legislation on treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers. The paper claims that the full INCB report (507 paragraphs, 72 printed pages) contains many findings that should attract serious attention at the highest levels concerned with law enforcement, health services, and public policy. References