The Persistence of the Criminalisation of the Possession of Illicit Drugs for Personal Use in Argentina

Abstract

In this article we analyze the Argentinian drug policy in relation to the possession of illicit substances for personal use. To do so, we articulate ideational theory with the perspective of moral public policy. The aim is to show how the ideas formed by the Argentinian leadership in the 1970s when the drug problem entered the legislative agenda have endured throughout the development of drug policy. We examine the processes that resulted in drug laws 20771 and 23737, using transcripts of the debates in Congress, interviews conducted by the author and secondary sources. Finally, we analyze the failed attempt for the depenalization of drugs possession in 2012 and the ideas that recent presidents have had about this problem.