Research Paper- Colombia and it’s war on drugs

The assignment is a research paper on the country Colombia and its war on drugs.

1. Drug use patterns. What drugs are used? Which are legal and which are illegal. Then narrow in on specific illegal drug. Who is using it? What is the social status of those populations? Why is drug use perceived to be a problem in that society? How long has it been thought to be a problem? What is the history? Is there a history of using these drugs that is culturally appropriate?

2. How does the drug trade fit into the broader economy of the nation or region? Would you characterize the nation as being primarily a consumer, producer or transit nation or some combination. Why? How have other economic trends, trade agreements and wars shaped this.

3. What are they doing about it? Are they primarily relying on criminal justice or harm reduction approaches? What is the impact of the approaches on the drug users? On the broader society? Has the USA been involved in formulating these approaches?

4. What do you think about this, in light of what you have learned for the class?

These questions don’t cover everything you can discuss. You should use your critical thinking to expand this list some suggestions. A broader overview of drug use patterns in a nation would be appropriate. Please avoid writing this like a “true crime” story. Particularly, working on a Latin American nation, there has been a lot written about the scandalous actions of cartels. It is easy to get caught up in the drama. Please do not lose your analytical mind in the bloody horror. I don’t want to see a focus solely on individuals. Social and political environments gave rise to the cartels and their leaders. When one is killed, others arise. We need to understand the context.

As always, this paper should be well written, and very well researched. A mix of journal articles and authoritative sources from the web should be used. Do not cut and paste pictures, charts or anything else.