The Colombian government of Gustavo Petro abolished fines for possessing small quantities of drugs to allow police to focus on chasing coca bigwigs and not fining users, as the Colombian constitution allows moreover personal possession of drugs.
The measure does not change the penalties of up to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking offenses, as provided for in Colombian law, but it ends the fines equivalent to around $50 that police impose on users. This decree also removes the power from the police to seize these substances.
The former conservative president, Iván Duque, was quick to react and declared that with this new measure, “criminals have had their December”, which would encourage crime and harm children, young people and to Colombian families.
Gustavo Petro is behind a change in approach in the fight against drugs that Colombia is leading with economic aid from the United States, where the main market for South American cocaine is located. He also ordered security forces to cease operations against small-scale coca leaf producers.
The legalization of cannabis in the works
Alongside this decriminalization of all drugs, Colombian lawmakers are racing against time to pass a plan to legalize cannabis before the end of the year, preventing a reset of the two-year legislative process.
Senator María José Pizarro, one of the main promoters of the cannabis legalization bill, supports the urgency of Senate action before the upcoming legislative recess. The bill went through three of the required eight debates, gaining approval from the House of Representatives and a Senate committee. However, to avoid restarting the long legislative process, it must be adopted by the Senate by December 16. Senator Pizarro emphasizes that if we do not act, the reform risks “sinking” once again, which requires a rapid examination in plenary session.
Although the legalization of cannabis came close to being enacted this year, the process had to be restarted due to the rejection of the last vote in the Senate. Justice Minister Néstor Osuna, echoing sentiments expressed at a Senate hearing, criticizes the impact of a decades-long “failed war” on drugs that has led to bloodshed, armed conflicts and criminal enterprises.
