«Current drug policies are ineffective in preventing use,» the group wrote in a nearly 900-page report. «The policy of war on drugs and drug trafficking has been a factor in the persistence of conflict and violence in Colombia.» Duque says there is a difference between the use of useful components from drugs and the complete repeal of prohibition. In the context of the peace talks, and in particular on the agenda item on drugs, many initiatives have been launched by civil society groups wishing to contribute their experiences and suggestions. Producers of illegal crops have proposed to create an organization to protect producers in order to find ways to regulate these crops. In an interview, Bolivar told CNN that it is hypocritical for the United States to legalize marijuana at home and support drug wars abroad, such as in Colombia, where Washington sends millions of dollars each year to arm and train Colombian forces in their fight against the cartels. 9. What role has civil society played in the drug debate in Colombia? According to the decree, even legal quantities of drugs can be seized during police raids in public places, and drugs are only returned if the user can prove an addiction. Compared to legal agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables, marijuana and coca leaves do not spoil for days and sell at a higher price per kilogram. They also have the advantage of growing all year round, while most plants only harvest a few months a year. A sad trend regarding Colombia`s lax prostitution laws, sex tourism is widespread in major Colombian cities such as Medellin and Cartagena. Although prostitution can be legal in Colombia, pimping or organizing sex tourism is not: Medellin recently launched a crackdown with the arrest of a foreign sex tourism supplier.
Some people may see the popularity of sex tourism in Colombia as a business opportunity, but make no mistake: the law provides for sentences of three to eight years in prison for facilitating these activities. On February 22, 2008, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya called on the United States to legalize drugs in order to prevent, as he said, the majority of violent killings in Honduras. Honduras is used by cocaine traffickers as a transit point between Colombia and the United States. Honduras, with a population of 7 million, suffers an average of 8 to 10 murders a day, about 70% of which are attributable to this international drug trade. The same problem is occurring in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Mexico, according to Zelaya. [12] «We think the time has come to do so,» says Luis Felipe Ruiz, an investigator at the Colombian NGO Dejusticia, which supports the decriminalization of drugs and has been documenting the war on drugs for years. Drug trafficking is the leading cause of detention in Colombia and, according to the Colombian Ministry of Justice, 13% of the country`s prisoners are serving a sentence related to drug trafficking. Ruiz argues that one of the benefits of legalizing marijuana would also be to reduce the prison population in the country. The decision, which can only be overturned with a constitutional amendment, has no impact on mass production and shipment activities of medicines worldwide. But it exacerbates tensions between the U.S.
and Colombia over what Washington officials see as attempts by some Colombian government officials to undermine the war on drugs. For Duque, who bills himself as a law and order conservative, defending cannabis in a country that has been the linchpin of the U.S.-led war on drugs for decades is more than a bit atypical. He took office deploring the way drugs «destroy» families and, as president, signed an executive order banning drug possession in public spaces and challenging a ruling by the country`s highest court allowing Colombians to transport small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and other drugs. With a number of UNESCO-certified sites such as San Agustin and Tierradentro, Colombia takes the preservation of its archaeological heritage incredibly seriously. There are many laws and decrees prohibiting the sale, purchase or removal of antiquities from the country. While this doesn`t seem like an activity most travelers would get involved in, it`s easier than you think to get involved in this illegal trade: travelers to San Agustin and Tierradentro have often reported that they have been offered antiques by unscrupulous tour guides. The penalty for possession of these items may not be long prison terms, but avoid the risk and say no. During the twentieth century, drug policy in Colombia was strongly influenced by international legislation promoted by the United States. Especially in the last decades of the twentieth century, with the growing importance of drug trafficking in the country`s economy and society, Colombia supported Washington`s agenda. «We saw the legalization of recreational activities for adults two, three or four years later — but now we hope this year,» said Luis Merchan, a Colombian businessman who is CEO of Flora Growth, a Toronto-based company that invests in Colombian marijuana, from medical cannabis to textile hemp.
In addition, in order to update its drug policy, the Government is preparing a new Narcotics Act, the National Law on Drugs and Psychoactive Substances, which aims to replace Law 30 of 1986. The government announced the new bill in early 2013, but its release was delayed. The bill would define for the first time the minimum dose of synthetic drugs. Possession of up to 200 milligrams or three amphetamine-like drug tablets would be permitted (with the exception of methamphetamines, the use of which would continue to be prohibited). Approved doses of cocaine (1 gram) and marijuana (20 grams) would be maintained, but authorities could resort to forensic medicine for people in possession of the most concentrated strains. For the first time, the new law would also require all communities to allocate funds to drug prevention and treatment programs. According to the guidelines established by the Constitutional Court, it would continue to protect drug users from criminal offences. The bill introduced by Senator Juan Manuel Galán to legalize cannabis for medical purposes – to which President Santos has publicly expressed his support – and the Decree of the Ministry of Health of November 12, 2015 legalizing the production and consumption of marijuana for therapeutic and medical purposes could both mark the beginning of a new direction in the legislative approach to drugs. The first bill was approved by the Senate in November 2014.
Because of Colombia`s historic role, legalizing recreational use would be a huge cultural shift — and perhaps a source of pride, Marchan said. The cocaine trade has been devastating for Colombia. Colombia, the world`s largest drug producer, responsible for 90 percent of global shipments, has been at the forefront of a decades-long «war on drugs» in which thousands of Colombians have lost their lives. And despite all this, cocaine production in the country remains higher than ever. In this very repressive atmosphere regarding drugs, the Constitutional Court ruled in 1994 in favour of decriminalizing the personal dose in Colombia. Over the past two decades, significant attempts have been made to reverse this measure. Although these attempts have failed, there are still practical barriers that prevent the decriminalization of the personal dose from becoming fully effective. According to a study by DeJusticia, «the vast majority of people detained for drug-related activities between 2007 and 2009 had no significant involvement in drug trafficking networks, as only 2% of them were charged with additional crimes such as conspiracy to commit a crime or illegal carrying of weapons.» To learn more, read this article. According to press reports, the government – through the Ministry of Health – is preparing a new plan to combat drug use and the resulting health problems. The plan will be presented at the end of 2014. «The roadmap to address this issue will work in parallel with the agreement signed with the FARC.
This will be part of the post-conflict policy and reaffirms that from now on, the Colombian government`s anti-drug policy will be based on a public health approach. It provides for a network of state-regulated pharmacies where cocaine could be sold by prescription and regional agreements in other drug-producing countries. The world`s three largest cocaine producers – Bolivia, Colombia and Peru – are all currently run by ideologically oriented left-wing leaders. Bolivia has a thriving legal market for coca by-products, mainly dry leaves chewed by the indigenous population, and as early as 2012, the governments of Bolivia and Colombia lobbied for a regional overhaul of drug policy at multilateral meetings. In May 2015, the Commission on Drug Policy published its final report entitled Guidelines for a New Approach to Drug Policy in Colombia. The report proposes a review of drug policy in the country and makes ten important recommendations: 1. Establishment of a drug policy agency; 2. contribute to reducing risks for consumers; 3. reconsider the fumigation of coca; 4. Regulation of medical marijuana; 5. go beyond the simple «say no to drugs»; 6. change the way we measure success through drugs; 7.
give greater importance to money laundering efforts; 8. reconsider extradition; 9.