Review of literature on illegal drugs in the region

This document presents a summary of academic research papers on illegal drugs. All papers were published in 2018 and each one falls into one of three categories: production, trading, and consumption of illegal drugs. Descriptions and other related articles can be found in the appendix.

First, we present papers related to drug production: studies on the presence of coca crops and alkaloid processing laboratories. Colombia is perhaps the best studied country in this area. This section also reviews studies that describe how drugs are produced in the region. The second section looks at articles related to drug trafficking, focusing on transportation, international drug distribution networks, and retail activities. Most of the studies presented in this section revolve around micro-trafficking in poor neighborhoods and areas with vulnerable
populations.

Finally, we present studies on processes associated with possession and consumption of psychoactive substances. These studies do not seek to evaluate the consequences for those who consume these substances, but to quantify drug use and identify associated patterns to formulate public policy recommendations.