Juan Manuel Santos, the Colombian president, has called for the global legalisation of marijuana to help combat the trafficking of harder drugs and related violence.

Mr Santos added his voice to a growing list of influential figures in Latin America demanding a rethink of the policies that have been used for decades to fight the drugs trade.
He said legalising softer drugs such as marijuana worldwide could help improve international efforts to deal with harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
"The world needs to discuss new approaches ... we are basically still thinking within the same framework as we have done for the last 40 years," he said.
Asked if making marijuana legal could offer a way forward, Mr Santos said it could and that he would support it "provided everyone does it at the same time". But he emphasised that other countries needed to take the lead, saying the issue was "a matter of national security" for Colombia, whereas "in other countries this is mainly a health and crime issue".
"Drug trafficking is what finances the violence and the irregular groups in our country. I would be crucified if I took the first step," he said in an interview with Metro, the global free daily newspaper chain.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...marijuana.html

[itisme]

Ok. I am American and I agree with Columbia's President 100%! He is using logic, our gov't is using unnecessary force to hold us all down in society!

[Avinash.miles]

LOVE IT

[m314]

The war on drugs is a failure. Prohibition laws do more harm than the drugs themselves, even hard drugs. Continuing to pursue cocaine and heroin users will continue to ruin lives and fund the cartels. Legalizing marijuana is a good first step, but continuing to enslave drug users and ruin their lives through prison time helps no one. No one but the police, prison guards, pharmaceutical industry, and anyone else with a financial interest in continuing the failed war on drug users.

[bombadil.360]

legalizing cannabis for many countries is also a matter of national security, even the U.S, how do you think terrorists get funds?

legalize it, kill black market, take their profit and fuck them, finito la comedia.

[OverEagerBeaver]

But he emphasised that other countries needed to take the lead, saying the issue was "a matter of national security" for Colombia, whereas "in other countries this is mainly a health and crime issue"

The Colombia President is just voicing what every Latin American Leader is thinking, however, the sad reality is that in 2011 alone the USA has provided Colombia with over $200 million in the form of just USAID (not including war on drugs funding) and you can bet your ass that that money is conditional on maintaining the status quo, ie the war on drugs.

So unless the USA takes the lead and changes policies aint no country that receives USAID gonna do shit for legalization even if it is "a matter of national security"

[Skinny Leaf]

No government is going to legalize drugs. Illegal drugs are a great tool for any government. Whether it is to give reason to imprison their citizenry or to fund covert ops.

[Warped1]

Well..while it's more cost effective,a government won't legalize marijuana,drugs..they make money off of the illegality, that's what we have to overcome. When they can make more money from legalization we'll all be golden. And look at it this way,legal or not we've all had a head start at learning how to grow. We'll be a commodity, for a while at least.

[Hammerhead]

Portugal has decrim most drugs and it is working for them... Portugal's drug problem, jail time was replaced with the offer of therapy. The argument was that the fear of prison drives addicts underground and that incarceration is more expensive than treatment — so why not give drug addicts health services instead? Under Portugal's new regime, people found guilty of possessing small amounts of drugs are sent to a panel consisting of a psychologist, social worker and legal adviser for appropriate treatment (which may be refused without criminal punishment), instead of jail.

[m314]

Originally Posted by Skinny Leaf

No government is going to legalize drugs. Illegal drugs are a great tool for any government. Whether it is to give reason to imprison their citizenry or to fund covert ops.

Hammerhead beat me to it, but Portugal decriminalized all drugs 10 years ago. The rates of hard drug use and addiction have actually gone down since then, and the people who choose to use drugs like heroin or cocaine are in a much better position now. They don't have to hide their use, share or reuse needles, or do other things that make the drugs more harmful than they already are. As bad as those drugs are, the prohibition laws are worse for the users and for society in general.

It's good to see more people supporting cannabis legalization, though. Such a harmless and beneficial plant should be legal everywhere. I believe that it's wrong to put people in jail even for dangerous plants like coca or poppy.