Legalization of cannabis in Colombia: examining the potential impact on organized crime

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the world. According to the UNODC, there were around 219 million users in 2021. It is also the illicit drug that is the fastest to be legalized for medical or recreational use. While Colombia has taken steps towards regulation, such as legalizing medical cannabis in 2015, the full legalization of recreational cannabis is still being debated.

This report draws on experiences from countries that have already legalized cannabis, such as Uruguay, Canada and the United States, to examine the potential impact on Colombia. It concludes that while legalization may reduce the size of the illicit cannabis market, a gray market that meets both local and international demand is likely to persist.

A focus is on how criminal control of cannabis growing areas could hinder growers' transition to a legal market. The report stresses the need for coordinated cannabis regulatory and safety policies to protect smallholder and traditional growers and integrate them into the legal market. It also examines the potential to reduce violence, although the report notes that this is unlikely to happen immediately. Criminal groups may resist the creation of a legal market, which could lead to short-term spikes in violence as they compete for control of the remaining illegal markets.

Another important outcome is the potential transformation of Colombia's criminal justice system. Legalization could free up resources so law enforcement could focus on more serious public safety issues and reduce the number of minor cannabis prosecutions and prison overcrowding.

This report offers important insights for policymakers, emphasizing that while cannabis legalization is not a panacea for crime and violence in Colombia, it is a critical step toward more effective drug policy reform and curbing organized crime.