Uruguay's Lower House Votes to Legalize Marijuana

[Comrade Grumpy]

Source: CNN

Montevideo, Uruguay (CNN) -- Uruguay's lower house passed a marijuana legalization bill Wednesday, bringing the South American nation one step closer to becoming the first to legally regulate production, distribution and sale of the drug.

After more than 12 hours of debate, the bill garnered the 50 votes it needed to pass in the House of Representatives. Forty-six lawmakers voted against the bill. The country's senate is expected to take up the measure in October.

President Jose Mujica has said he backs the bill, which would allow marijuana to be sold in pharmacies and create a registry of those who buy it. Only those 18 and older would be allowed to purchase the drug.

He told CNN en Español last year that he supported legalizing marijuana. "If we legalize it, we think that we will spoil the market (for drug traffickers) because we are going to sell it for cheaper than it is sold on the black market," he said. "And we are going to have people identified."

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Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/31/world/americas/uruguay-marijuana-legalization/

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Possession has never been illegal in Uruguay; this bill would set up state-licensed marijuana consumption, production, and sales. If you get a pot consumer card, you can possess and grow your own or grow in a collective or go buy it in a pharmacy. If you don't, you can't.

Niggling details aside, woot!! Take that, pot prohibition. Look for more US states to do it in 2014,and even more in 2016. We're about to kill that dinosaur--just watch out for its dying twitches.

[MADem]

1. .....create a registry of those who buy it.

"And we are going to have people identified."


If it's legalized, why should anything more than proof of age be required? Why should people be placed on a "registry?" Why must people be "identified?"

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. I'm not particularly fond of that part.

I think it was a sop to get the thing passed. It's kind of creepy, and some Uruguayan pot people have harshly criticized it. I'm not particularly paranoid, though, so if I were an Uruguayan pot head, I'd be signing up.

Mujica originally proposed this about a year ago, but postponed a vote at the end of last year because the public support wasn't there and the opposition parties were united against it. They modified the bill, the public still opposed it, and so did the opposition, but it passed because Mujica's Frente Amplio had 50 votes in the 99 vote chamber. It passed 50-46. The Frente also controls the Senate, so it should pass there, too, later this fall.

[joshcryer]

8. I wouldn't sign up.

One problem is that Latin American governments like to meddle in things like this. I agree that you should have a license to grow the stuff and sell it, but to possess or consume it? No, I don't think that's fair. Yes age restrictions obviously would be logical but to go any further is wrong.

I suspect the opposition voted against it because they want a piece of the pie. They can get to control it and their cronies in the government can get paid. Gerardo Amarilla is the leading opposition guy pushing back on this, I found his blog and his pathetic bashing of passing the law. He cites good old boy Julio Calzada as to why marijuana shouldn't be fully legalized and distributed. Secretary General of the JND (National Drug Oversight Commission, basically).

Searching for Wikileaks cables on the JND, we can see they're big buddies with the DEA:

1. SUMMARY: This report covers January through June 2009. The Government of Uruguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (JND) continued to work diligently on drug enforcement activities during this period, and DEA support increased, opening six investigations during the period. Halfway through 2009, seizures of pasta base have already exceeded 2008 levels, while cocaine and marijuana seizures remain steady. INL continues to support JND's active demand reduction programs and provides operational support to the Special Counternarcotics Police (DGRTID). The DGRTID is an organization that has produced excellent results, despite extremely limited resources. END SUMMARY.

http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=09MONTEVIDEO404&version=1314919461

[joshcryer]

4. DEA reopened a field office there in 2012.

Mujica wants to handle the dispensing of the drugs probably to appease western interests. One thing people don't understand about Mujica is that he's pragmatic, though I agree this is a shitty precedent, Latin America doesn't have to do all things the "American way." (Private selling of goods with regulations.)

[TexasTowelie]

3. Good for them!

[roody]

5. Fantastic!

[Uncle Joe]

6. Good for Uruguay except for that identification part.

Thanks for the thread, Comrade Grumpy.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Big step forward. Hope this will have influence elsewhere. It's time. n/t

[DeSwiss]

9. Mother Nature always intended for her children to smoke weed....

The proof is in the presence of cannabinoid receptors in my brain.

- Everyone of which approve this message.....

K&R

[Jesus Malverde]

10. UN narcotics body warns Uruguay over marijuana bill

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) says it is concerned by the approval by Uruguayan MPs of a bill which would legalise marijuana.

The INCB says the law would "be in complete contravention to the provisions of the international drug treaties to which Uruguay is party".

Under the new law, the state would assume control of growing and selling cannabis to registered users.

The bill still needs to be passed by Uruguay's senate before becoming law.

'Serious consequences'
The INCB is an independent body of experts established by the United Nations to monitor countries' compliance with international drug treaties.

In a statement released just hours after the bill was passed in Uruguay's House of Representatives, the INCB said that such a law would be in "complete contravention" of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, which bans the sale of cannabis for non-medical use.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23535990

[duhneece]

11. This is the best news I've had in a while

This really is huge.

[TeamPooka]

12. Prohibition is a failed public policy...everywhere. nt