Drug War Geopolitics Policy Brief Paper

An Unprecedented Reform to U.S.-Columbian Drug Policy Intended Audience: White House Office of National Drug Control Policy For decades, United States drug control policy towards Columbian coca cultivation and cocaine production has been both inhumane and incredibly ineffective. In order for President Biden’s administration alongside Columbia to effectively manage cocaine production, an unprecedented shift is imperative for productive policy in the region. President Biden’s recent decision to support the resumption of Columbian President Durque’s aerial glyphosate fumigation for purposes of coca eradication is a recent example of why the U.S. needs to recalculate its approach in Columbia. It’s crucial the U.S. and Columbia find a more sustainable way to execute drug control policy due to fumigation’s harms environmentally and socially as well as its failure to eradicate coca crop production. The goals of this research is to provide an alternative drug control policy partnership for the United States and Columbia to pursue in tandem. This policy brief suggests the U.S.-C.O.L. collaborate to immediately end aerial glyphosate fumigation, begin implementing social control policy to manage coca production paired with substantial government subsidization in the exportation of medical marijuana to offer an economically viable program for alternative development in Columbia over the next three years. Currently, glyphosate’s use is restricted by governments in twenty countries and is listed as a “... probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization (Myers, et al., 2016). Additionally, when used in aerial fumigation the chemical causes disastrous effects environmentally relating to unsafe water supply (Rhodes et al., 2021, pg.9) and the land’s ability to recover in bio-diversity and for future agricultural purposes (Rhodes et al., 2021, pg.12). To 1 only exacerbate the disastrous impacts of glyphosate for fumigation, the method does not significantly or permanently end coca crop cultivation (Grisaffi/Ledebur, 2016, pg. 14). It’s evident the practice of aerial glyphosate fumigation is outdated and irresponsible to continue. In the past, projects of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have pushed alternative development, but the combination of fumigation desecrating their agricultural prospects along with no viable economic crop options led to its failure. (Ledebur, 2005, pg.145) In Drugs, Thugs, and Diplomats, Tate asks if, “... the U.S. programs [should] be oriented toward peasant farmers seeking a sustainably alternative livelihood?” (Tate, 2015, pg.157). The medical marijuana industry offers a sustainable and licit alternative for Columbia. The medical marijuana industry is growing substantially in popularity as well as economic value to both corporations and small scale farmers alike in Columbia (Rivera, 2019, pgs.11-12), and would be a viable economic alternative to coca cultivation. It’s in the best interests of both governments for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to begin the process of following the proposed four steps in order to work productively with Colombia to reduce coca production or illicit purposes with a viable economic alternative, Columbian exportation of medical marijuana to the United States: Step 1:President Biden immediately unendorses Columbian fumigation efforts and other methods of forced eradication. This step can be accomplished within the first day or week with a presidential address or meeting with Columbian President Duque to stop fumigation and agree to hold negotiations for medical marijuana imports to the United States. Step 2:The United States lifts its ban on medical marijuana exportation from Columbia, joining other North Atlantic countries like the United Kingdom and Canada in the import of more cost-effective marijuana for medical use. Colombia with international counterparts, such as 2 company involvement from the European Union, with a skilled cheap labor force and experience inexpensive land yields much cheaper production costs, while a gram of cannabis flower costs between $0.50-$0.80 to produce in Colombia, in Canada it can cost as much as $2.10 (Rivera, 2019, pg.18). Columbian medical marijuana imports for the United States would not be breaking the United Nations 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs because the substance is for medical use, “... the conventions oblige state parties to limit the use of narcotic drugs exclusively to medical and scientific purposes” (UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1962). The U.S.C.O.L. will need to negotiate trade deals for the exportation and importation of medical marijuana regarding tariffs and regulations. In this six month negotiation period, the U.S. could also begin developing policy to federally legalize medical marijuana outside the 36 states, District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin that already have passed such legislation. Step 3:In a combined effort, the Columbian government and USAID will heavily subsidize the licensed growth of medical marijuana. In 2019, USAID amounted over $800 million in U.S. funding, the majority of which dedicated to “international narcotics and law enforcement” as well as the Department of Defense’s “foreign military financing” (USAID, 2021). This funding can be utilized in other ways to subsidize permits and equipment to further develop the medical marijuana industry in Columbia. Additionally, the U.S. should advise Columbia to research and potentially implement a social control drug policy for coca similar to that of Bolivia’s MAS program, which allows the licit growth of coca to be permitted by the government. The policy in Bolivia has seen great success in reducing coca’s illicit market, “... Bolivia has dramatically reduced its coca supply while respecting new benchmarks for success, including respect for human rights, full citizenship rights for farmers, empowering local 3 communities and developing long-term economic alternatives to coca … a negotiated approach like Bolivia’s community control takes longer to show results than forced eradication, yet coca reduction under the new system can be more readily sustained as farmers are provided with real economic alternatives” (Grisaffi/Ledebur, 2016, pg. 10). Although it could be argued that Columbia has less of a cultural tie to coca than Bolivia, a social control policy of strict permitting and monitoring of coca will be effective in Columbia for curbing illicit coca growth for the production of cocaine. During this second six-month period, the Columbian government should also be recommended to raise their limits on cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes from 20 to 50 plants in the first year of this plan’s implementation, with the possibility of the limit increasing based on annual numbers. Step 4: This plan will be signed with a five-year expiration date of funding, barring no major Columbian humanitarian or corruption concerns. In this past, drug policy between the U.S.-C.O.L. has created pressure for Columbia to meet the yearly requirements to keep their funding in which forged numbers or greater humanitarian issues arose (Ledebur, 2005, pg.150). After this five year term, both the U.S. and Columbia can address the plan’s implementation and changes if it is to be continued. Additionally, at the end of this period potential discussion could take place regarding the exportation of Columbian marijuana for recreation purposes in the United States. 4