Consequences of Prohibition
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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)
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.
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Comments
XMAS
Rudolph the redbud reindeer . How it shined so glistfully . ..................................
Noble Peace Prize for President Mujica
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.
In reply to Let's not get too excited. by JdL (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.
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..
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?
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