07 Luglio 1994

a weekly service for the media on news items related to Marijuana Prohibition.

by Rob Kampia, Chapter Coordinator of NORML

The July 2 issue of The Economist (p. 44) reported that Colombian President-elect Ernesto Samper had supported decriminalizing marijuana in the past, but would probably not advocate the same now because of recent accusations that his campaign had been financed by illicit drug money.

An unknown source supplied a tape to Colombian government investigators that shows the Cali cartel had tried to fund Samper's campaign-and Samper's opponent's campaign, too. However, the tape does not indicate that Samper ever accepted the funds.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is suspected of supplying the tape.The Economist writes:

"... it is plain that the affair has served the Americans' purpose, even if they were not involved. Mr. Samper, eager to avoid further suspicion, has made it clear that he will follow the hard line against drug traffickers promoted by his predecessor and backed by the DEA.

"That, for the [DEA], is quite a gain. Mr. Samper years ago had argued for the decriminalisation of marijuana. He had recently shown signs of recognising that the war on drugs could not be won and needed less of an all-or-nothing approach. He might, once in office, have encouraged a genuine debate about drugs, on the heels of the Constitutional Court's recent ruling that legalised the possession of small quantities of marijuana and cocaine."

(The May 5 ruling came on the heels of United States government officials' criticism of Colombia's chief prosecuting attorney, Gustavo de Greiff, who favors treating drugs as a health issue rather than a criminal issue.)

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