Successful Stoners: Luis Mesa, From Telenovelas To Cannabis Activism

This special feature was made possible thanks to the Gabo Foundation and the Fund for Research and New Narratives on Drugs. You can read the original in Spanish on El Planteo. Learn about more Successful Stoners here.

Most people remember “Betty La Fea” [Ugly Betty], a telenovela that captivated the world. Surely, the audience will remember Luis Mesa, the actor who also became famous thanks to his leading role as Professor Francisco in the series "Francisco el Matemático'', a drama that marked several generations of Colombians. However, these days, Luis Mesa appears frequently in the media because he’s exploring a more political and less performative facet of his life: cannabis activism. The paisa actor, born in Medellin, Luis is a guy who looks much younger than his ID says. His 50-odd years are mostly tangible in the serenity with which he communicates, to the rhythm of a Zen master, thinking of each one of his words, delivering them with lulling tranquility. 

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His integrity would make him seem like a full-fledged gentleman by many of the traditional standards in our countries, but the truth is that Luis has been more rebellious than he appears. In his youth, he decided to abandon his studies in Medicine at the University of Antioquia to follow his calling to be an actor, and five years ago Luis began to speak openly about cannabis on his networks to explain the “wide and diverse world of cannabis”, to “reduce the stigma associated with the plant and the people who consume it”. Luis grew up attracted to the plant, but alienated from it due to political propaganda highlighting that cannabis corrupted people, making them lazy and criminal. “It was the typical vice of robbers who hung out on some corner to smoke and wait for the next victim,” says Luis, remembering how something so sinful caught his attention. “For some reason, I never knew it was used by my high school classmates and I only came to try it for the first time when I was twenty. Even today I smile whenever I reminisce about how much I laughed that day." 

Luis Mesa - Actor - Colombia

Those of us who have been consuming for more than a decade understand today that practically all the paranoia that we could feel in our adolescence after consuming cannabis was mainly due to that fear of being arrested, losing one's head, or breaking the hearts of those who they loved the most. However, Luis connected with marijuana from the first time he tried it. “In the beginning, I used it a couple of times a year and I did it as a tool to explore my interior. Over the years I also learned that it was possible to abuse it and I learned to respect her. Today, cannabis has introduced me to a diverse and exciting world, ranging from agribusiness and product development to the mysteries of the endocannabinoid system and latest scientific advances, to issues of substance regulation and mindset and culture change.”

See also: Successful Stoners: María Gabriela de Faria – The Actress Who Broke Taboos And Stereotypes Coming Out Of The Cannabis Closet

“Is success measured in dollars, titles, awards, followers? Or in the time spent enjoying yourself, the world, and the people you love? Perhaps a successful stoner is a person who wonders about his consumption. Someone who’s informed and educated about the benefits or harm that it can bring; someone who takes care of their relationship with the plant to enjoy it to the fullest. That, perhaps without intending or knowing it, breaks down prejudices”. The conversation then takes a brief turn and becomes one about the difficulty for most consumers to come out of the cannabis closet: the fears are still so ingrained that even prominent professionals and entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry do not speak openly about being consumers themselves afraid of being labeled. But for Luis, it helps in his career development. “I take walks at night to imagine my characters, get to know and build them; I bring a joint with me as a tool for introspection and body awareness that helps me on that path.” However, like any responsible consumer, he’s also aware of the limits to its use. "I learned very young that it didn't work for me at all to be on stage. I only know of one very good actress who can do it."

How does Luis envision a more consumer-friendly and responsible legal future? It would have to be an environment where not only education is provided with good information, presenting balances of risks and benefits that allow the user to consume at will and consciously, but in turn "promotes and fights for a regulation that allows access to quality products, duly labeled so that buyers know composition and concentration, as is already the case in Canada, Uruguay and more than half of the United States.” His path began years ago, inspired in part by Carl Sagan, the most important scientist of his youth, who said that "The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to the full use of a drug that helps generate serenity and insight, sensitivity and companionship that is so desperately needed in this increasingly crazy and dangerous world.”

See also: Successful Stoners: Ignacio Torrejón And His Recipe For Cultural Change - Pizza, Parenthood And Pot

In Colombia, the national conversation has been advancing along with the political proposals and the country is at a breaking point that could position it as a leader in the region. “In this last election cycle, we had many candidates making their positions known on the matter. More than half of those consulted are against regulating its adult consumption and seem to prefer to continue with the failed prohibition policies.” With the incoming government of Gustavo Petro comes a Congress that seems to have a progressive vision of the issue and has manifested a favorable environment for regulation. With certainty, Luis assures that "in a couple of years we will join the growing club of countries that have taken a step forward, correcting and leaving in the past the prohibitionist era of cannabis." 

However, he knows that legislating in Latin America can take a long time, and a global push is needed to speed it up. “Once Germany takes the step in regulating its cannabis market, I think we will have a reformist cascade, not only in Europe, but it will also give impetus to similar proposals in other regions of the world—although on the global stage they will meet opposition in international organizations, especially from China and Russia, countries that remain entrenched in current prohibitionist treaties.” There will be obstacles and opponents, but the wave of regulation is gaining strength and it will be very difficult to turn back. While in some places there is still a debate about whether or not cannabis should be legalized, and to what extent, in places like the US and Canada there is already talk of legalizing other drugs, opening the field to psychedelics, driven by new scientific findings and therapeutic benefits. 

"To some extent, we could say that a consensus is being reached that the war on drugs is not only a failure but has brought more damage than it was trying to avoid," says Luis. "The great obstacle is that this war benefits many powerful groups, both legal and illegal, who are going to oppose effective dismantling," he says. He emphasizes the commitment to a paradigm shift in a country that has suffered the violence of North American laws (that have only left deaths, displacements, and economic losses that are around the trillions of dollars invested in war ammunition and unsustainable programs).

Luis is one of several activists who have been speaking out against these injustices for years, engaging with a broad spectrum of consumers—from patients to politicians—educating and highlighting the importance of reducing risks for cannabis users, sharing the latest news, data, and studies on the benefits and challenges that marijuana brings. “I am not interested in promoting its consumption, but I do want to contribute to those who use it or plan to by sharing better information so that they can do so in a more responsible and educated way. My followers on networks tell me that the videos I have published have helped them establish a better dialogue with their families; it’s a compliment that I appreciate.”

Illustration by @chyataller

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