Política de drogas: no se trata más de si legalizar, pero cuando y como»

«it is no longer a question of whether to legalize, but when and how»

Abstract

This communication aims to discuss the contemporary political and social movement for the decriminalization and regulation of drugs, in response to the damage caused by the war policy to drugs. The antiprohibitionist movement, currently, has gained strength to the detriment of the ethical-moral model of repression and compulsory hospitalization of users of certain substances. Prohibitionist policies have proven more harmful than the use of prohibited drugs and the method of treatment directly infringes on human rights. The high rates of incarceration and death of poor black youth reveal the current strategy of the State, that is, to criminalize and repress the trade and consumption of certain substances. In the same way, they confirm that prohibitionism does not correspond to an efficient model. In this paper, we will analyze some contemporary bills that try to reinforce repression and spread compulsive hospitalization as a treatment for certain drug users. In the same way, political initiatives that attempt to decriminalize and regulate the production, distribution, trade and consumption of drugs, now illegal, will also be analyzed. According to the anti-prohibitionists, legalization would bring more education, dignity, respect for users, quality of life, in addition to the possibility of a less violent society in the large metropolises. The criminalization of the phenomenon of drug use is to deny the urban culture itself and deny users the right to the city. In this sense, an attempt will be made to describe this social and political process of debate on drug policies in Brazil, highlighting the growth of the anti-prohibitionist movement in the face of the decline of the prohibitionist model.