Colombia is one of the nations that experience had essentially the most back-and-forth on hashish legislation—in all probability rivaled best via Mexico (and, in fact, the USA). Congress has already debated the problem a grand general of 8 occasions, however hasn’t ever reached an actual result.
Closing week, the First Committee of the Area of Representatives licensed a constitutional reform invoice to permit the grownup use of hashish. However be nonetheless, oh silly middle: that is best the primary spherical of dialogue, with seven extra nonetheless to move. For now, the development appears like not more than a déjà vu, met with extra warning than hope.
The disappointment over the loss of growth is shared no longer best via sufferers and customers, but additionally via President Gustavo Petro himself. This Tuesday, the president as soon as once more known as out Congress for its state of being inactive in this subject.
A bit of context: just lately, safety forces seized greater than 8 lots of unlawful hashish in L. a. Plata, Huila—one of the vital biggest operations observed lately.
As has been confirmed time and time once more, drug trafficking flourishes no longer on account of the plant itself, however on account of prohibition itself. This has already been showed via nations with insurance policies extra interested in well being and human rights than those who insist on punitivism. In different phrases, if we in point of fact need to battle cartel violence, probably the greatest step is to legalize weed.
Such is the foundation of Petro’s newest—although rarely new—grievance of the Colombian Congress, which he tweeted: “If Congress had legalized hashish, we wouldn’t have a drug gang needlessly killing humble Colombians. Extra royalist than the king, hashish is felony in many of the global, and the United Countries has deemed it no longer destructive to human well being.”
Si el congreso hubiera legalizado el canabis no tendríamos un traqueto matando colombianos humildes inecesariamente.
Mas papistas que el papa, el canabis es felony en los angeles mayor parte del mundo y naciones unidas consideró que no es dañina a los angeles salud humana.https://t.co/jvHwlTI8I5
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 26, 2025
This isn’t the primary time Petro has brazenly expressed his critiques in this subject. On the finish of 2023, he declared that “casting off the hashish legalization legislation best will increase the income of drug trafficking and its violence.” He has additionally criticized US insurance policies and has many times spoken out towards the nefarious Conflict on Medication, advocating for approaches focused on human rights reasonably than persecution.
Sadly, the president has up to now did not exert sufficient affect to make his arguments resonate with legislative leaders. For its phase, mentioned management turns out made up our minds to show a deaf ear to the mounting proof that legalizing weed is probably the greatest method to give protection to its inhabitants.
This text gave the impression first on El Planteo.
Picture via Samantha Energy – USAID, Public area, by means of Wikimedia Commons, editad on Canva
