Colombia goes back and bans possession of drugs for personal use

Civil society is coming together in Bogotá, Colombia, to demonstrate against a new Decree-Law that prohibits the possession of drugs for personal use, after more than 20 years of permission under the Constitution.

In the protests, the population acts in the form of peaceful disobedience, considering that this law ignores the constitutional rights of Colombian citizens.

Colombian President Ivan Duque, who has already been praised by Donald Trump, signed a decree allowing the police to confiscate any and all amounts of drugs, when the possession and transport of small amounts for personal use has been constitutionally provided for since 1994. 

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjquintana77%2Fvideos%2F10156719213697954%2FUzpfSTExNDc2OTk3ODY2NDY3MDoxMjQ1NDQ3NDMyMjYzNTgw%2F&width=800&show_text=false&appId=288970418173804&height=411According to some Colombian activists, although the country defines an amount considered for personal consumption, “the police are now allowed to seize quantities within the limit for consumption and consequently impose a fine of between 200 and 8000 pesos (between 10 and 300 euros approximately )”. This fine, applied only to quantities below the consumption limit for personal purposes, can also “be mitigated or replaced by attendance at information sessions for consumers who assume themselves to be dependent”.

The Colombian population gathered in protest in Bogotá to criticize this measure, “which has already come into force, but which we believe will not last long”, confided a Colombian activist to Cannapress.

https://players.brightcove.net/665003303001/4k5gFJHRe_default/index.html?videoId=5851471643001

Video by Alessandro Rampietti, from Al Jazeera

Colombia is one of the countries that, contrary to what is the trend around the world, is tightening its drug policies, despite having a progressive constitution, in which consumption is decriminalized. The Colombian system also allows consumers to have a limited amount of 22 grams of cannabis and also to grow 19 plants at home for their own consumption. 

This measure was introduced after an electoral promise to strengthen drug policies, but experts and critics are skeptical about the effect these new measures will have on criminal organizations or production in what is still the world's largest cocaine-producing country.

Colombia legalized cannabis for medical purposes in 2015. This measure does not affect medical cannabis users or the companies that produce it at this time.
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Featured image: DR