Postures Regarding Drug Legalization

Postures regarding drug legalization

Introduction

What are the positions of the deputies regarding the legalization of drugs? The legalization of drugs in Latin America has been a topic of great debate and many times of forceful rejection when it has reached higher instances, such as discussing this issue within a Congress or Assembly. Within the Bulletin analyzed by the authors, Manuel Alcántara and Cristina Rivas, a clear position is shown to the legalization of drugs in Latin America. But how has progress been made since then? The year 2012 marked the legalization and consumption of marijuana in Uruguay, being the first country in Latin America that would make this decision, Alcantára & Rivas. 

Developing

This would cause great debates within Latin American societies, which as exposed in the newsletter would show more rejection ideas than support. In the countries analyzed, 5 countries are shown that present a great rejection of drug legalization for 2013, and these are: Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The main reason for the refusal to the theme is the social and health problems that drug use leads. It must also be taken into account that the bulletin teaches that it does not matter what the ideological position of the legislators is, all oppose the measure. 

However, Ecuador in 2013, developed a table with minimal amounts of drug possession to be able to differentiate who is a consumer who is the one who distributes these substances.

Likewise, the bulletin demonstrates that Ecuador also in its firmness table on the approval or disapproval of drug legalization, is the country, of the 5 aforementioned, how high the level of approval has. If we compare the 2013 Bulletin in which Guatemala was as the second country that most rejects the legalization of drugs, with the year 2014, where the president of that time.

Otto Pérez, proposed the legalization of drugs to end the existing problem of violence in the region, it can be noted that the Guatemalan position has not changed with respect to the previous year, showing themselves completely in rejection the legislators in charge of discussing that issue. During 2019, resuming the Ecuadorian case, the National Assembly decided to legalize the medicinal consumption of cannabis, a very significant jump to the position that legislators maintained in 2013. The opening to the subject is currently greater and its rejection levels, although they have decreased, have not disappeared and are still reluctant to release consumption recreationally. 

conclusion

As mentioned above, in bulletins it is demonstrated that the main rejection is due to the problems that drug use causes in countries, this is a concern that remains firm being of the biggest problems facing Latin American society according to the Latin barometerof the year 2018. Now, the bulletin also mentions that age forms an important role in understanding the legalization or rejection of drug use. At a lower age, higher level of acceptance. So the issue of the legalization of drug use will move forward as the legislative bodies are filled with younger people.

Bibliographies

Latinobarometer Corporation. Latinobarometer 2018: 2018 report.

Alcántara, m., & Rivas, C. (2013). The debate on the legalization of drugs from the perspective of Latin American legislators. Elites bulletin. Salamanca, Spain: University of Salamanca.

El Heraldo (April 7, 2014). Controversy in Guatemala for proposal to legalize drugs.

El Comercio Peru (October 20, 2017). Congress approved law that allows the medicinal use of marijuana.

El Comercio Ecuador (September 19, 2019). Medicinal cannabis is legalized, probort activists will insist.