The "Marijuana Bench": A Sociological Analysis of Anti-Prohibitionist Candidacies in the 2022 Election

Abstract

This article presents a sociological analysis of the candidacies of state and federal deputies whose main agenda was the anti-prohibitionist struggle, in other words, against the criminalization of certain drugs, during the 2022 election. This year, these candidacies were strengthened through the creation of a group that became known as the “Marijuana Bench”. Through the analysis of the interviews, we sought to present the profile of these candidates, the reasons that led them to engage in this agenda, their proposals and the difficulties they faced during the electoral campaign. The objective is to expose reflections on the topic to assist in the debate and provide data to those interested in researching the performance of the anti-prohibitionist movement in the party political field, based on the analysis of activists' speeches during the electoral dispute.