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Uruguay's politicians to decide whether to control pot

New Zealand Herald

Saturday 11 Aug 2012

A plan by Uruguay's leaders to make the Government the nation's cannabis dealer has gone to Congress, where its fate is uncertain.

President Jose Mujica's entire Cabinet has signed on to the proposed law, which aims to take over an illegal trafficking business estimated to be worth US$30 million ($37 million) to US$40 million a year.

The law would have the Government control cannabis imports, production, sale and distribution, creating a legal market for people to get pot without turning to riskier illegal drugs. The text submitted yesterday declares the drug war is a failure and cannabis is only mildly addictive, unlike "cocaine, alcohol, tobacco and psychotropic drugs".

But politicians are divided, even within Mujica's Broad Front coalition of leftist parties and social groups. Mujica has said he will push the plan only if it gets at least 60 per cent support in polls. An official in the President's office said the bill was not expected to advance quickly.

The law's goals include "the normalisation and full social acceptance of marijuana use" so consumers aren't "stigmatised, or treated as criminals".

Instead it proposes education about the risks of using pot.

The text sent to Congress added that "marijuana has been for many years the most-consumed illegal substance" in Uruguay, and "has an important level of legitimacy in Uruguayan society". It also cited precedents for decriminalisation in the Netherlands, Australia, Spain and several US states.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10826234

 

 

 

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