For Fernando Henrique Cardoso, marijuana is an old person thing
Former president opens Cannabis event in Brazil. Watch a snippet of the lecture.
By Valéria França
The CIVI-CO building, an innovation hub for entrepreneurs located on a dead-end street in the West Zone of São Paulo, hosted former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) this Saturday (7). He was there to kick off Cannabis Thinking, an event for entrepreneurs to learn about and consider business opportunities in the sector.
Events of this magnitude usually don't attract media attention. However, the presence of the former president turned the building into a meeting point for representatives of the main media outlets. Yes, everyone wanted to know what FHC would say about drugs. He had to meet the journalists in a special room for a press conference before the lecture.
A sociologist, political scientist, and writer, he taught at Stanford University in the USA and Cambridge University in England. As he was leaving, he mentioned that he does not use drugs and that "marijuana is an old person thing." In a presentation of less than half an hour, he stated that prohibition and the war on drugs have not solved the issues in the USA. The best path is regulation.
"In Brazil, only those who do not want to see fail to notice what is happening. Marijuana or heavier drugs are not only found in the slums but also in middle-class and wealthy homes. It is necessary to restrict, regulate, but not prohibit," he said. "Alcohol is harmful. Drinking every day is harmful. The same goes for other drugs."
"Marijuana is an old person thing. I have never been a user." But he has the experience of a politician and sociologist. For FHC, society needs to be educated and informed. It needs to understand the difference between medicinal and recreational use. All cases are open to regulation. "Everyone is responsible for their choices. That is democracy. People's sociability is formed in various sectors." At 88 years old, FHC is in great shape.