Prohibition of Drugs in Columbia

and out of the prison system, the control of (or lack there of) by prison

Drug abuse is continuous use of substances like alcohol in quantities or with ways unacceptable by medical experts mostly for purposes of altering normal body functioning. It is majorly a health concern, but in the recent decades, it has risen to become one of the worst ills in the society (Haw & Hawton, 2011). There are various laws that prohibit use certain drug types especially those often abused. Most judicial systems protect their citizens from drug abuse and related issues. There are two categories of drug offenders namely the dealers and the users. This paper analyses the effect of substance use on the social institutions and effective mechanisms of dealing with the drug offenders (West, 2010).

For many years, a real push has been looming on the idea of legalizing now illegal drugs. This has become a hot debate throughout nations all over the world, from all walks of life. The dispute over the idea of decriminalizing illegal drugs is and will continue on as an ongoing conflict. In 2001, Drug decriminalization in all drugs, including cocaine and heroin, became a nationwide law in Portugal (Greenwald). Ethan Nadelman, essayist of “Think again: Drugs,” states his side of the story on the continuing criminalization of hard drugs, in which he stand to oppose. Whether it is for the good of human rights or not, decriminalizing drugs may be a good head start for a new beginning.

Liberalizing drug reforms would be a step in the right direction for Colombia and would seriously burden the cartels (Leff). The drug war is a catalyst that has increased the profits of drug cartels. The illegal nature of narcotics limits supply, allowing the cartels to charge large sums of money for their product. Everytime the authorities fighting the drug war bust a drug deal, the supply currently available goes down, and cartels are able to charge even more for drugs. The system of criminilazation created by the drug war is actually the reason that cartels are so profitable. By driving down prices, the power of drug cartels is limited. The illegality of the drug trade directs its multi-billion-dollar profits go to criminal gangs. The drugs account for the bulk of the gangs’ income and thus their firepower (“Burn”). Legalization benefits drug-producing countries by decreasing the money that cartels can use to buy firearms, 90% of which are sold to them from the United States (Ellingwood et al.). This would allow governments, rather than gangs, to govern the country.

“Drug policy regarding the control of the traditional illicit substances (opiates, cocaine, cannabis) is currently moving through upbeat times in almost all Western countries. Prohibition on the basis of repressive law enforcement not only seems to fail on a large scale, but also to create vast additional costs, problems, and harm for drug consumers, who often find themselves in extreme social, economic, and health conditions” (Fischer 1995: 389).

and out of the prison system, the control of (or lack there of) by prison

The existing drug laws are very inefficient. This paper will focus on the people and the specific elements that are affected by the inefficiency of the drug laws. When looking at the drug laws at a glance a person might be lead to think that they would be very effective and they seem reasonable. While drug laws in themselves are necessarily wrong, some of the discrepancies in the laws make them unfair and take from the category of handing down justice and puts them into the category of cruel and unusual. First there will be an analysis of prohibition throughout American history, then an analysis of what the actual crimes and punishments are for a few of the drugs in the United States. Next there will be a look into who is affected by

The issue of drug abuse is a sad reality in every community, and drug prohibition is present across the globe. Whether it is under the guise of protection of family values, or public safety, prohibition disrupts more than it maintains. Many people view drugs as a problem but they can also be viewed as a problem solver. This essay will address the socioeconomic issues with prohibition of hard drugs, and argue for their legalization.

Like many other countries in Latin America and across the globe, Peru is no stranger to the economic and social impacts of illicit drug trade. However, unlike most other countries in the region like Colombia, Peru does not experience a high rate or organized crime or violence surrounding the drug trade. Although violence is minimal, the growth of cocoa and the production of cocaine is a massive industry within the country, creating an interesting dynamic between the people of Peru, those involved in the drug trade, and the Peruvian Government. The drug trade in Peru has been fueled by the geography, structure of the criminal groups involved, perceived corruption of the military and police forces, and an ineffective and overcrowded prison system.

Nowadays, when someone thinks of Colombia, they unfortunately almost always think of two things, coffee and cocaine (with its associated guerilla warfare). It is true that during the last 50 years these two products, one legal, and the other not, have been great monetary contributors to the Colombian economy. Coffee is Colombia’s principal agricultural product, and it is also the country’s second largest export. The production of coffee uses 300,000 farms and employs almost one million people (Steiner 6). Conversely, cocaine is a completely illegal product, but it earns almost twice as much money as coffee (Steiner 6). Also, in contrast with the production of coffee, cocaine uses fewer employees but earns

Drug trafficking is a major issue in Colombia, causing many other issues across the country. Many people involved in the drug trade including civilians are being killed, kidnapped, and injured over this problem. Over the years, the government has started cracking down on the growers, producers, and sellers but so far, they have only caught minor criminals. The government is making agreements with neighboring countries and finding alternative uses for the crops to slow down the production of drugs. Despite all of the efforts being made to stop drug trafficking, violence, and production the cartels are still thriving throughout Colombia.

Violence in modern Colombia takes place in many forms. The three major categories are crime, guerrilla activities, and attacks committed by drug traffickers. Violence has become so widespread and common in Colombia that many people have now become numb to it. The Colombian economy has also benefited from the illicit drug trade; however violent it may be. During the 1970s, Colombia became well known, as one of the world’s most important drug processing, production, and distribution centers for marijuana and cocaine.

Latin America has had a long history of drug use, which contributes to its stereotype as a drug infested region. Beginning in the 1970’s, the United States has been trying to eliminate drug cartels, trafficking, and use in Latin America (Bogota). The influence of drugs in Latin America has led to violence and death over the many years.

Next, as previously proven, policing had a negative cost shift overall due to the NSFAD calling for more funding to go to drug trafficking policing. Local policing costs have not significantly changed, though, meaning that the NSFAD did not augment the amount of police interaction with drug users. Taking into account this information it can be claimed that in terms of the social cost, or the taxpayer burden, the NSFAD has been a mixed bag. What can be positively asserted is that both prison costs and the lost income/productivity of the drug offend has been significantly reduced due to the introduction of decriminalization and CTD’s. Taking into account all four social cost categories identified by Goncalves as well as the their respective limitations and caveats, it can not be confidently be claimed that the overall social costs of drug use following the implementation of the NSFAD were decreased, rather success in reducing negative social repercussions should be considered on a category by category

A multibillion dollar industry, with a consumer population of about 125 to 203 million people; the drug industry affects lives of all racial, ethnic, economic , social background, including participants in the drug industry, addicts, teenagers, parents, families, and officers of the law. Many people have encountered an experience with drugs and or drug education; the shared experience regarding the discussion of this topic or illegal experience brings importance to this current issue and validates the proposal for change. How much change, what change and how long will the change take place. Although this issue has many perspectives and opinions on how the war on drugs could be “won”, I will focus on two perspectives: drug criminalization and drug legalization. In a Human Rights lens, I will discuss the limitations and strengths of both methods. In the opinion of some and with hindsight the status quo regarding drugs requires reform in order to reverse the unintended consequences of drug prohibition. In the opinion of others criminalizing participants in the drug trade should be penalized under the law.