Abstract
The paper analyzes seven legal cases from the 1980s brought by the Public Justice of the district of Belém de São Francisco against Cannabis farmers, probably the first cases of this kind. Based on theories of the Flow of the Justice System, the analysis indicates that the slowness in the execution of procedural acts made the conviction of the defendants unfeasible. The cases seem to reveal that the objective of the legal actions was not focused on dismantling criminal groups or agents who acted to structure illicit activity or to punish incriminated individuals more vehemently. Finally, the article explores the inherent contradictions in the priorities of drug policies established by the civil-military dictatorship through law 6368/76, in conjunction with the actions of the judiciary in the analyzed jurisdiction. The type of legal action performed more of a political propaganda function to combat these crops than an action to exterminate said activities.
Keywords:
Judicial system; Criminal proceedings; Marijuana