Research:2026-02-20/Journal article/echoes-of-the-past-in-the-present-the-political-uses-and-abuses-of-history-in-contemporary-cannabis-debates-in

ResearchJournal article20 February 2026

Echoes of the Past in the Present: The Political Uses and Abuses of History in Contemporary Cannabis Debates in Latin America

Jonas von Hoffmann

Contemporary Drug Problems

Compares how history is used in debates on recreational cannabis reform in Uruguay, Mexico and Chile. Legislative debates in Uruguay and Mexico invoked precedents, past presidents and policy precursors, while historical referents did not feature prominently in Chile. Alcohol Prohibition was invoked throughout, and other examples depended on national context. The author argues that advocates often misuse the past, exaggerating precedents and losing nuance for political ends. Its evidence concerns how reform debates use history; it is not a source for the historical events they invoke.

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DOI10.1177/00914509261424476

Record created 15 October 2026maintained by landrace.wiki editorspage history

2026-02-20 2026-10-15 Echoes of the Past in the Present: The Political Uses and Abuses of History in Contemporary Cannabis Debates in Latin America Journal article Policy and law Jonas von Hoffmann Contemporary Drug Problems 2026 10.1177/00914509261424476 https://doi.org/10.1177/00914509261424476 Compares how history is used in debates on recreational cannabis reform in Uruguay, Mexico and Chile. Legislative debates in Uruguay and Mexico invoked precedents, past presidents and policy precursors, while historical referents did not feature prominently in Chile. Alcohol Prohibition was invoked throughout, and other examples depended on national context. The author argues that advocates often misuse the past, exaggerating precedents and losing nuance for political ends. Its evidence concerns how reform debates use history; it is not a source for the historical events they invoke.