HomeNewsBriefColombia Decriminalizes Small Quantities of Cocaine, Marijuana
BRIEF

Colombia Decriminalizes Small Quantities of Cocaine, Marijuana

COLOMBIA / 19 JUL 2012 BY EDWARD FOX EN

Colombia's Constitutional Court has approved a government bill to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, reversing a 2009 law.

On Friday, Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled in favor of a bill to decriminalize possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana or 1 gram of cocaine, reported Caracol Radio.

Under the new law, anyone found with less than the amounts specified cannot be prosecuted, though they may be ordered to undergo treatment depending on their level of addiction.

Colombia first decriminalized the possession of small amounts of drugs in 1994, but then-President Alvaro Uribe overturned the decision 15 years later with a constitutional amendment. In August last year, however, the Supreme Court ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional, paving the way for the current government to propose new legislation on decriminalization.

InSight Crime Analysis

The court's ruling has not been met with universal praise from Colombian politicians and lawmakers. The country's inspector general, Alejandro Ordoñez, was quick to lambast the decision, deeming it detrimental to Colombia's fight against drug trafficking, particularly the domestic drug trade. Ordoñez declared that he would do everything in his power to reverse the decision, reported Semana.

Attorney General Eduardo Montealegre backed the ruling, however, stating that drug consumption must be treated as a public health problem and not a criminal offence.

Decriminalization laws are nothing new to Latin America with a number of countries -- from the Southern Cone to Mexico -- having enacted them over the last two decades. However, the impetus to discuss decriminalization or legalization as alternatives to punitive measures of drug control has grown significantly this year, with President Juan Manuel Santos among the most vocal advocates of a new approach. Santos stated earlier this year that Colombia would be open to legalization if it were adopted worldwide.

Last week the Uruguayan government made one of the boldest proposals yet in the region, announcing it was considering legalizing and regulating marijuana sales in the country.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BRAZIL / 24 MAY 2021

Of the nearly 140 reporters killed in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Honduras during the past decade, about half covered organized…

COLOMBIA / 4 AUG 2022

A local gang targeted bus drivers in Barranquilla, Colombia, to gain attention ahead of the country's change in government.

COLOMBIA / 15 DEC 2022

The murders of social leaders in Colombia suggest that some armed groups are not yet entirely committed to the government's…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…