Latinos and Legalization

The majority of Latinos do not support drug legalization, neither in the United States nor in Latin America.

If the referendum to legalize marijuana in California does not pass today, as it seems to be the case by a narrow margin, the lack of support among the Hispanic population will be one of the major causes. The unpopularity of legalization also helps us understand why all the elected presidents in Latin America have opposed any policy of liberalization of the production or use of controlled substances, even when they “change” their minds quickly once they have completed their terms.

According to a survey by the L.A. Times, in California, 57 percent of Latinos are opposed to the referendum to legalize marijuana, while among whites and blacks the numbers are 48 and 49 percent respectively. This trend will be especially negative for today’s referendum, as in California, over a third of the population is of Hispanic origin.

Individuals in Latin America are even more adverse to legalization. In Mexico, 78 percent are opposed to marijuana legalization. Likewise, 85 percent of Peruvian youth disagree with drug legalization. And in several surveys, Colombians show degrees of opposition between 71 and 75 percent, the same as 20 years ago.

As in a parallel universe, it is very rare to see the great consensus this subject has generated among Colombia’s opinion leaders. I don’t remember the last time María Isabel Rueda, Alfredo Molano, Alfredo Rangel and Antonio Caballero agreed on something. Nevertheless, the four of them, along with a dozen other columnists, have written recently supporting drug legalization.

The great discrepancy among the elite and the general population generates many questions. If Latinos suffer the worst consequences of the war on drugs, why do they support the prohibition? Why hasn’t the consensus among regional experts affected the population’s opinion? Is it possible that politicians will implement changes recommended by experts against public opinion? But above all, and concerning what’s happening in California, I wonder if the future of changes in drug policies can come about in Latin America they way it is happening in the United States, from the bottom up.

Even if today’s referendum is not approved in California, pro-legalization activists have promised to present similar initiatives in the future. And sooner or later, marijuana will be legal in some states of the United States. For the rest of the continent, however, the future is much more uncertain.

Anyway, we must continue arguing, even if in a counter-intuitive manner by saying that legalizing drugs is less harmful than prohibiting them. But it seems that any reform on drug policies in Latin America will need to be done against what the majority wants, with a good dose of elitist decision making. This is why maybe we’ll have to wait for Santos’ reelection for him to “change” his mind.