It’s a sad fact of life: for many people Colombia is a country to be avoided; a country devastated by drugs, an industry which has lead to displacement, corruption, murder and war. For many others Colombia is a must-do point on the journey through South America because they’ve been told they can get cocaine cheap and of a high quality
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The truth is that Colombia has had a troubled history thanks to the production of drugs, but today its reputation is greatly exaggerated. Though many people still associate Colombia with cocaine, it is in fact Peru that produces the largest amount of the drug and countries like the US and UK that consume the most.
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We recommend you don’t use drugs when travelling at all. In Colombia the police will be very happy to detain a gringo, or you’ll get lucky and be able to bribe them. If you do go against the advice, we recommend exercising extreme caution. Drugs in Colombia are generally safer than those back home but your source is rarely fully trustworthy and you can easily obtain something that could damage your health, or worse. There have also been several instances of fatalities in hostels owing to the over-usage of drugs.
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=> Remember as well, Colombia’s troubled history is in a large part thanks to the exploitation and displacement of vulnerable communities as a result of the drug war. The decision is yours to make, but keep in mind that in Colombia many locals will feel strongly about the issue and will likely be against drug usage.
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