Latin American presidents who support the decriminalization of marijuana won a big diplomatic victory in recent days when the 34-country Organization of American States issued a report that considers that option as one of several policies that might help reduce the region’s drug-related violence.
The 400-page OAS report, entitled ‘The Drug Problem in the Americas,’ had been commissioned by Latin American countries at last year’s Summit of the Americas attended by President Barack Obama in Cartagena.
While it doesn’t make recommendations, it cites decriminalization of marijuana as one of several policy options that countries might adopt, in effect putting the option on the table. It is believed to be the first time that an international organization considers decriminalization of marijuana use as a possible drug policy.
The report calls for “greater flexibility” in anti-drug policies, and notes there are “trends that
