Colombian far-left President Gustavo Petro repealed a decree over the weekend that criminalized the carrying and consumption of “personal doses” of narcotics in the country, allowing citizens to possess up to one gram of cocaine without legal repercussions.
The now-repealed decree, known as “Decree 1844,” was signed in 2018 during the administration of former President Iván Duque, Petro’s predecessor. It allowed the Colombian National Police to combat micro-trafficking of narcotics in public spaces by prohibiting the possession of “personal doses,” allowing the seizure of the narcotics, and imposing fines and/or imprisonment on violators.
Colombia’s former President Ivan Duque delivers a speech during the inauguration of the congressional session in Bogota, Colombia, Wednesday, July 20, 2022 (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia).
Petro’s government claimed that the…
