The presidents of Colombia and Mexico introduced that they are going to be bringing collectively different Latin American leaders for a global convention centered on on “redesigning and rethinking drug coverage” given the “failure” of prohibition.
As lawmakers in each international locations work to advance marijuana legalization, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated in a joint assertion on Friday that they not too long ago met to debate “geopolitical, industrial, cultural and growth cooperation” of their bilateral relationship.
A part of that effort will contain collaborating with the broader worldwide group to forge a brand new path on the drug coverage entrance—a subject that Petro has continuously mentioned since taking workplace earlier this 12 months.
“Recognizing the failure of the combat towards medicine and the vulnerability of our peoples within the face of this downside, Mexico and Colombia will convene an Worldwide Convention of Latin American leaders with the target of redesigning and rethinking drug coverage,” the counties introduced in a joint assertion following Petro’s go to to Mexico final week, in line with a translation.
It’s considered one of greater than a dozen priorities for the “bilateral agenda” outlined by the presidents.
Whereas the statement is mild on specifics, the reference to the “failure” of the drug warfare—in addition to each presidents’ previous feedback on the necessity for reform—indicators that the worldwide discussions will largely heart on transferring away from a criminalization mannequin for medicine.
En su primera visita a México como Pdte., @PetroGustavo, le habló a la comunidad colombiana en este país, se refirió, entre otros, a la política antidrogas: “el stability americano desde Alaska hasta la Patagonia en estos últimos 50 años es un desastre”. #ColombiaEnMéxico🇨🇴🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/07DS6okDO5
— Presidencia Colombia 🇨🇴 (@infopresidencia) November 25, 2022
Petro said that the worldwide cooperation on a method ahead from the warfare on medicine is necessary, “given the degrees of violence that the present coverage has unleashed, particularly within the American continent.”
“We’re killing one another,” the Colombian president said in a press release forward of his conferences with López Obrador. “And it’s the product of prohibition.”
Petro has been particularly outspoken in regards to the subject since profitable the presidency. For instance, he delivered a speech at a gathering of the United Nations (UN) in September, urging member nations to essentially change their approaches to drug coverage and disband with prohibition.
He additionally not too long ago talked in regards to the prospects of legalizing marijuana in Colombia as one technique of decreasing the affect of the illicit market. And he signaled that the coverage change ought to be adopted by releasing people who find themselves at the moment in jail over hashish.
To that finish, Colombian senators permitted a hashish legalization invoice in committee final week, following its development within the nation’s Chamber of Representatives.
Previous to the Senate motion, Colombian Justice Minister Néstor Osuna stated at a public listening to that the nation has been the sufferer of “a failed warfare that was designed 50 years in the past and, as a result of absurd prohibitionism, has introduced us numerous blood, armed battle, mafias and crime.”
In the meantime, a U.S. congressional delegation returned from a go to to Colombia final month, and a congressman who was a part of the journey instructed Marijuana Second that one theme of his discussions with officers within the nation was that the world has “misplaced the warfare on medicine.”
In Mexico, a prime Senate official not too long ago stated that she’s heard from a colleague who visited leaders in a number of Latin American international locations, and so they’re persistently asking in regards to the standing of Mexico’s efforts to legislatively finish prohibition and arrange a regulated marijuana market.
Individually, Mexican Sen. Patricia Mercado famous the brand new joint drug reform dedication made by her nation’s president and the president of Colombia, saying that coverage could be reworked, together with by legalizing hashish, “if there may be political will.”
El primer paso para que México transforme su política de drogas está listo para darse, si hay voluntad política.
Después de 3 años, la regulación de la #cannabis quedó en suspenso en el Congreso pero el trabajo está hecho. Se puede destrabar ya.https://t.co/1d6um4Ejoa— Patricia Mercado (@Pat_MercadoC) November 26, 2022
The nation’s Supreme Court docket dominated in 2018 that the prohibition on hashish possession and cultivation for private use is unconstitutional.
Senate Majority Chief Ricardo Monreal, an advocate for reform, stated in August that enacting rules for hashish will (once more) be among the many prime legislative priorities of Congress within the new session.
It’s been about 4 years for the reason that nation’s highest court docket deemed prohibition unconstitutional, leaving it as much as Congress to comply with up with a coverage change, accordingly. However lawmakers have up to now been unable to achieve a consensus on laws to place in place rules for a hashish program.
On the request of legislators, the court docket agreed to increase its deadline for Congress to formally finish prohibition on a number of events. However due to the repeated failed makes an attempt to fulfill these deadlines< , justices in the end voted to finish criminalization on their very own final 12 months.
Mexico’s president stated in late 2020 {that a} vote on legalization laws was delayed as a result of minor “errors” within the proposal.
Whereas the brand new joint assertion from each nation leaders talked about convening a convention for Latin American nations, it’s seemingly that the dialog will even bear in mind developments within the U.S., the place President Joe Biden not too long ago issued a mass marijuana pardon and directed a scheduling evaluation.
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) cheered the official swearing in of Petro in August, saying that he seems to be ahead to “working collectively to…rethink drug coverage, and far more.”
A prime Mexican senator individually stated final 12 months that “there may be now not room for the prohibitionist coverage. ” And she or he additionally stated that the affect of the U.S .is responsible for failed marijuana criminalization legal guidelines in her nation.
Photograph courtesy of Mike Latimer.