11
Dec
2013
By Calvin at 14:59 GMT, 12 years ago
From the BBC.....
Uruguay has become the first country in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume marijuana.
After nearly 12 hours of debate, senators gave the government-sponsored bill their historic final approval.
The law allowing registered Uruguayans over 18 to buy up to 40g of the drug a month is not expected to come into force before April.
The government hopes it will help tackle drug cartels, but critics say it will expose more people to drugs.
Main points:
- The State controls the production, distribution, commerce and consumption of marijuana
- Consumers have to be over 18 and registered
- Marijuana to be sold at licensed pharmacies
- Sales are limited to 40g (1.4oz) per month
- Registered users can grow up to six plants at home
Please follow this link to read the rest: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25328656
TCPW Comment: I suspect a lot of governments around the world will be watching this ‘experiment’ with great interest, hoping that something good comes from it. If it proves to be successful in controlling drug cartels and all the crime associated with them, don’t be surprised if other countries follow suit. The concern is that this change in the law will be seen as an encouragement to use the drug. So let’s hope that the Uruguayan government engage the services of researchers that are completely independent of government to see what benefits, if any, come from this relaxation of their drug laws.
Source: BBC News Latin America and Caribbean website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-25328656
