Mayors try to criminalize Marijuana March in Brazil – 09/21/2023 – Panel

The mayor of Sorocaba (SP), Rodrigo Manga (Republicans), used, without authorization, the name of the National Front of Mayors (FNP) to launch a document for the criminalization of the Marijuana March in Brazil.

This Wednesday (20), Sorocaba City Hall shared material stating that the FNP launched a “National Pact Against Drugs”, alongside the entity’s logo.

When contacted, the FNP, which denied that the topic had been analyzed and requested the removal of its brand from the material, which was complied with by the city hall.

Conservative and Bolsonaro supporter, Manga is vice-president of Drug Policy at the FNP. The city hall portal announced that the front would be supporting the proposal to criminalize the Marijuana March and the possession and possession of drugs in the country, regardless of the quantity.

“Sorocaba’s proposal has not yet been analyzed in the debate bodies promoted by the FNP.”, stated the FNP in a note.

When contacted, Manga said he understands that the issue is extremely urgent. “There is no deadline to expect analyzes in debate instances”, he states.

According to the city of Sorocaba, the proposals that would close the siege against drugs in the country would have the support of the mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB). When contacted, Nunes highlighted that he was against the liberalization of the use of narcotics, the Marijuana March and “completely” in favor of the medicinal use of cannabis. “Such issues, however, are not being addressed by the National Front of Mayors,” he said.

Other mayors of cities in São Paulo would be in favor of the measures proposed by Manga. This is the case of the mayor of Guarulhos, Gustavo Costa (PSD); from Campinas, Dário Saadi (Republicans), and from Osasco, Rogério Lins (Podemos).

Costa, from Guarulhos, stated that the city has a bill being processed in the Legislative Chamber to ban the local Marijuana March. “It will be sanctioned by me, to combat drug advocacy, preventing the events of the march in our city,” he said. “It is important to separate medicinal use, as in the case of cannabidiol, which has positive effects on many diseases, and recreational use”, he highlighted.

The mayor of Campinas, Dário Saadi, says he is against the decriminalization of marijuana, as well as other drugs, but that this is an issue that should be discussed by the legislature. “While this doesn’t happen, I respect the decision of the Federal Supreme Court that authorizes this type of event,” he says.

The mayor of Osasco, Rogério Lins, did not respond to the report’s questions until publication.

The movement by Sorocaba City Hall comes after the presentation of a PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) by the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD), which aims to consider possession and possession of drugs “without authorization or in disagreement with the law” as a crime. legal or regulatory determination”, regardless of quantity.

The mayor of Sorocaba has also been waging a local “war” against the Marijuana March, after issuing a municipal decree prohibiting the movement from taking place in the city in the interior of São Paulo.

With other mayors joining the idea, Rodrigo Manga says he will visit the Chamber and Senate, as well as legislative assemblies, in an attempt to create a national movement around the issue. He also expects the population’s support, “saying no to drug use in Brazil, as well as no to events that support drugs”, he says.

The city hall also published a portal where citizens could express their opinion in favor of the proposal. The document is available on a website where supporters can fill out a form anonymously or not. Until 11:30 am this Wednesday, 53 supports were registered. The petition does not leave open the possibility for citizens to disagree with the proposal, collecting only favorable votes.

In 2011, the STF (Supreme Federal Court) decided that marches of this type are legitimate, after judging the Action for Non-Compliance with Fundamental Precepts (ADPF) 187.

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