Cocaine is prohibited because it is produced in Latin America, "not because it is worse than whiskey." If legalized, it could help defeat drug cartels. This statement was made by Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a Cabinet meeting, as reported by the newspaper Semana.
The Colombian president suggested legalizing cocaine to combat drug cartels. According to him, cocaine is no more harmful than strong alcohol, which can be purchased in stores.
"Scientists confirm this," said the president, noting that the demonization of cocaine is more related to political and economic interests than to scientific evidence.
According to Gustavo Petro, if cocaine were legalized worldwide, it could be sold like wine. This, in the politician's view, would help combat the drug trade, rather than treating cartels as terrorists.
This business could be easily dismantled if cocaine were legalized globally. It could be sold like wine, and the profits could be used for programs aimed at preventing children from consuming wine, alcohol, and smoking, as is the case today.
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According to Petro, vaping is becoming increasingly popular. In his opinion, it is worse than cigarettes, yet still "comes to the forefront because it is legal."
The greatest threat to America comes from the spread of fentanyl, which has turned out to be "a pharmaceutical product of American transnational corporations."
What has entered the United States, namely fentanyl, is killing them. And it is not produced in Colombia.
In 2021, the UN reported that the area of coca cultivation in Colombia increased by 43%, reaching 204,000 hectares, with projected cocaine production hitting a historic high of 1.4 thousand tons.
Colombia remains the world's largest producer of cocaine. As Foreign Policy reported, in many remote areas, Colombians consider coca to be "the only commercially viable crop."
As of 2022, nearly 120,000 families were engaged in its cultivation.
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Speaking at the UN General Assembly session that same year, Gustavo Petro called for the global legalization of cocaine.
"What causes more harm to people? Cocaine or emissions from burning hydrocarbons, including oil?" — he asked at that time.