Drug Policies and the Politics of Drugs in the Americas

This book is a collection of studies of drug policies in several Latin American countries. The chapters analyze the specific histories of drug policies in each country, as well as related phenomena and case studies throughout the region. It presents conceptual reflections on the origins of prohibition and the “War on Drugs,” including the topic of human rights and cognitive freedom. Further, the collection reflects on the pioneering role of some Latin American countries in changing paradigms of international drug policy. Each case study provides an analysis of where each state is now in terms of policy reform within the context of its history and current socio-political circumstances. Concurrently, local movements, initiatives, and backlash against the reformist debate within the hemisphere are examined. The recent changes regarding the regulation of marijuana in the United States and their possible impact on Latin America are also addressed. This work is an important, up-to-date and well-researched reference for all who are interested in drug policy from a Latin American perspective.

Coletta A. Youngers, Foreword: From Drug Prohibition to Reform.- Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar and Thiago Rodrigues, Introduction: Drugs and Politics in the Americas: A Laboratory for Analysis.- Thiago Rodrigues and Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Prohibition and the War on Drugs in the Americas: An Analytical Approach.- Benjamin T. Smith, Public Drug Policy and Grey Zone Pacts in Mexico, 1920-1980.- Amanda Feilding and Juan Fernández Ochoa, Drug Policy in Guatemala: Constraints and Opportunities.- Ana Isabel Jácome and Carla Alvarez Velasco, Ecuador: The Evolution of Drug Policies in the Middle of the World.- Rodrigo Uprimny and Diana Esther Guzmán, Seeking Alternatives to Repression: Drug Policies and the Rule of Law in Colombia.- Andrés Antillano, Verónica Zubillaga and Keymer Ávila, Revolution and Counter-Reform: The Paradoxes of Drug Policy in Bolivarian Venezuela.- Aldo F. Ponce, From Freedom to Repression and Violence: The Evolution of Drug Policy in Peru.- Thomas Grisaffi, Social Control in Bolivia: A Humane Alternative to the Forced Eradication of Coca Crops.- R. Alejandro Corda and Diana Rossi, History and Changes of the Drug Policy in Argentina.- Thiago Rodrigues and Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Brazilian Drug Policy: Tension Between Repression and Alternatives.- Guillermo Garat, Uruguay: A Way to Regulate the Cannabis Market.- Jahlani A. H. Niaah, Ganja Terrorism and the Healing of the Nation.- Steve Rolles, From Drug War to Policy Reform: Implications of US Drug Strategy for Latin America.