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Uruguay's Congress has taken the first steps towards creating a legal cannabis market. Sarah McCulloch NORML UK Thursday 01 Aug 2013 All 50 members of the ruling Broad Front coalition voted for the bill just before midnight on Wednesday, making a narrow majority of the 96 MPs present during 13 hours of loud debate. The bill will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to be passed and make Uruguay the first country in the world to license the production, distribution and sale of cannabis for recreational, medicinal or industrial use. Under the legislation, Uruguayan will be able to grow up to six plants privately or join membership clubs to share cultivation of up to 99 plants, or buy up to 40 grams a month through licenced stores. All options require registration with the government. Colorado and Washington have passed similar measures in 2012, but these are individual states and have been in a war of words with the United States federal government - cannabis use remains illegal under federal law. NORML UK welcomed the news, noting that the Uruguayan government explicitly referenced the human cost of Cannabis Prohibition in its deliberations and expressed the hope that future countries will soon follow. The Organisation of American States informed President José Mujica that the other members had no objections, suggesting that other South American countries will be monitoring the outcome closely. Sarah McCulloch, Political Director of NORML UK said: "This is a marvellous first step towards ending Prohibition across the world. However, this bill has been passed with little public support - two thirds of Uruguayans oppose this legislation. In Britain, a majority of British people consistently support decriminalisation or legalisation of cannabis in poll after poll." Ms McCulloch continued: "We want British politicians to know that the precedent of Colorado, Washington and now Uruguay is there, the public support for it is there, and 2 million British cannabis users make a law that is totally unforceable and damages individual lives and whole communities. We all want change and we won't stop campaigning until we get it." END Notes to the Editor 1. NORML UK is a national pressure group affiliated to NORML, the largest and oldest cannabis reform campaign in the world. NORML UK seeks to gain recognition for the rights of people to peacefully pursue activities relating to cannabis without unwarranted intervention by the authorities. 2. NORML UK members and staff are available for media interviews, please email info@norml-uk.org or call 07814 879 854
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