ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IN BRAZIL

Abstract

The criminalization of marijuana in Brazil is marked by a history of social control and repression, rooted in colonial, racist, and exclusionary processes. Since the first laws that prohibited the use of the plant, it has been observed that the impacts of this policy fall disproportionately on Black youth and residents of urban peripheries, reinforcing structural inequalities and contributing significantly to mass incarceration. Various studies demonstrate that Brazil’s drug policy is selective and punitive, based more on social and racial factors than on objective or scientific criteria. The analysis of judicial proceedings confirms that even when possession is for personal use, subjective interpretations of the law result in harsh punishments, violating principles such as otherness, human dignity, and non-retrogression. Meanwhile, countries that have adopted the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana have been showing positive results in terms of public safety, health, social justice, and the economy. Maintaining the prohibitionist model in Brazil represents not only state inefficiency but also a barrier to the promotion of fundamental rights. Therefore, the debate on the decriminalization and regulation of marijuana is urgent and necessary, requiring historical reparations, inclusion policies, and a new paradigm centered on public health, equity, and social justice.