Left-wing lawmakers at the House and Constitution and Justice Committee have postponed a vote on a bill that aims to differentiate between drug users and dealers in Brazil’s Constitution. This delay gives the Supreme Court more time to make a significant decision on the matter.
The current legislation, dating back to 2006, employs subjective factors to make the distinction, leading to biased decisions based on race and class. Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco proposed a bill to criminalize drug possession in any quantity, seeking to remove this subjectivity.
However, the bill’s rapporteur in the House, far-right Congressman Ricardo Salles, kept the language approved by senators, maintaining the ambiguity in the differentiation. This move aims to preempt a potential Supreme Court decision that could decriminalize cannabis possession.
The intention of right-wing lawmakers is not to change drug policy but to anticipate the Court’s ruling. The justices are leaning towards defining an objective quantity to distinguish users from dealers and decriminalizing cannabis possession for personal use. Chief Justice Luís Roberto Barroso is expected to schedule a date to resume the trial soon.
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