Merry Christmas! Uruguay President Signs Marijuana Law

Submitted by Phillip Smith on Wed, 12/25/2013 - 2:56pm (Issue #815)

Consequences of Prohibition

Drug War Issues

Politics & Advocacy

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica has signed into law legislation making Uruguay the first country to create a legal, state-regulated marijuana industry. Mujica quietly signed the bill Monday night, the Associated Press reported.

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica as Santa (photo altered by Photomica -- Mujica wasn't really dressed like that)

Presidential secretary Diego Canepa confirmed the signing Tuesday.The signing was the last formal step in a process that began a year and a half ago, when Mujica's government first bruited the idea of legalization as a means of combating crime related to the black market.

Government officials now have 120 days to craft regulations for the marijuana market. Those regulations will deal with everything from growing to selling it in a network of pharmacies, as well as establishing rules around collective grows. The world's first fully legal, government-regulated marijuana marketplace should be up and running by mid-year next year.

But in the meantime, people can now begin growing their own marijuana at home -- up to six plants per family -- and keep an annual harvest of up to 480 grams (about one pound and one ounce).

Uruguay's neighbors are already beginning to take note. The governments of Argentina and Chile have already signaled that they will be taking new looks at marijuana policy in the wake of the Uruguayan move.

News Brief

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Comments

kickback (not verified)

XMAS

Rudolph the redbud reindeer . How it shined so glistfully . ..................................

Fri, 12/27/2013 - 6:03am Permalink

Paulpot (not verified)

Noble Peace Prize for President Mujica

If a Noble Peace Prize means anything then President Mujica and his colleagues deserve one.

The drug war has poured billions into the hands of criminals and terrorists without ever reducing drug consumption, while only denying economy to the community and tax to the government, medicine to the sick and justice to the poor.

Uruguay's stand will prove that the real danger is the police state.

Ending the drug war will do more to address crime, corruption, violence, terrorism and war than anything else ever could.

Thanks to President Mujica we are finally on the path of ending this criminal war on people.

Fri, 12/27/2013 - 9:13am Permalink

JdL (not verified)

Let's not get too excited.

Let's not get too excited. This is a small step in the right direction. A VERY small step. What the government of Uruguay is NOT saying is, "It's none of our business what you put into your own body, or where you get it, as long as you've done so peacefully." No, they're saying, "We're graciously allowing you to smoke pot, as long as you pay all the prescribed tributes to your rulers." That still makes Jose Mujica a criminal in my book, and if he sends out any thugs to bust someone for, say, selling pot without giving the government a cut, those thugs deserve to be stopped by whatever means prove to be necessary.

Sat, 12/28/2013 - 7:04am Permalink

saynotohypocrisy (not verified)

Let's not minimize it's significance either

The first country in the world to tell the UN treaty to get lost. Mujica doesn't even have public support in Uruguay for going this far (unless public opinion in Uruguay has changed dramatically in the last year) so I'm not inclined to criticize him for not going further. He's a hero in my book, despite the flaws in his reform.

And yes, I also think the Nobel Peace Prize would be appropriate. Unlike the other Nobel prizes the Peace prize is awarded by a committee appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, not Sweden's. Sweden is notoriously hardnosed about weed, but just maybe he's got a shot with the Norwegians, Hopefully he'll at least get nominated.

Sat, 12/28/2013 - 1:34pm Permalink

saynotohypocrisy (not verified)

Do you have a source for that statement?

That''s very hard to believe. They are a puritanical regime.

North Korea is involved in drug dealing, to earn hard currency. One more reason to legalize, to keep that dreadful dictatorship from making windfall profits from the war on users of selected drugs..

Sun, 12/29/2013 - 10:24am Permalink

Anonymousous (not verified)

They tried to stop people

They tried to stop people from chewing coca leaves,but Evo Morales & his people won their rights continue their ancient tradition.

The UN?

Sun, 12/29/2013 - 6:00pm Permalink