Cocaine is ‘no worse than whisky,’ Colombian president says

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that “cocaine is no worse than whisky,” as he suggested the multibillion dollar illicit trade in the drug could be “easily dismantled” if it was legalized worldwide.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that “cocaine is no worse than whisky,” as he suggested the multibillion dollar illicit trade in the drug could be “easily dismantled” if it was legalized worldwide. Colombia is the world’s top producer and exporter of cocaine, mainly to the United States and Europe, and the government has spent decades fighting drug trafficking. “Cocaine is illegal because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse than whisky,” the president said on Tuesday during a six-hour ministerial meeting that was broadcasted live. “Scientists have analyzed this,” he claimed. The leftist leader, who assumed office in 2022, has vowed to tackle drug trafficking and regulate the use of illegal substances. However, since coming to power, Colombia’s cocaine production has surged. Cultivation of coca leaves in Colombia increased 10% in 2023 from the previous year, while potential cocaine production reached a record of more than 2,600 metric tons, a 53% increase, the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime said in October.