Uruguay legalizes Marijuana

[Han Cholo]

Uruguay's government has opted for the "regulated and controled legalization" of marijuana in the South American country as a crime-fighting measure and pledged to lobby against the current global drug-war strategy in international forums.

The prohibition of "certain drugs" in Uruguay is creating "more problems than the drugs themselves," Defense Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said Wednesday, noting that other similar situations in neighboring countries have had "disastrous" consequences.

The minister referred to the "dramatic situation" triggered by drug trafficking in "other Latin American countries such as Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Colombia, Brazil, and now it's starting in Ecuador."

"We don't want the same thing to happen to us in Uruguay," the defense minister said.

The administration of President Jose Mujica, currently in Brazil for the Rio+20 environmental summit, will "fight (in) all the international forums" for the legalization of marijuana, Fernandez Huidobro said.

The defense minister announced the decision to legalize the psychoactive drug at a press conference, in which he was joined by presidential secretary Alberto Breccia, Interior Minister Eduardo Bonomi and Social Development Minister Daniel Olesker.

It will now be "Uruguayan foreign policy" to combat the "prohibition (of consumption) begun in 1971 by the erroneous decision of former U.S. President Richard Nixon, who brought about the current disaster" by "declaring a war that's been won by the narcos," Fernandez Huidobro said.

Marijuana consumption was already tolerated in Uruguay, but now Mujica's leftist Broad Front government plans to overhaul existing legislation barring its production and sale and has the necessary votes in Congress to do so.

Marijuana "will be planted by the country's farmers," the defense minister said, adding that the state-regulated system will undermine illegal drug dealers.

The government says regulation of marijuana sales would help combat consumption of cocaine paste, a drug that is more powerful and addictive and which is blamed for a rise in juvenile delinquency in the South American country.

Nearly 10 percent of the population, or 300,000 people, have consumed marijuana at some point in their lives and between 127,000 and 150,000 do so "on a regular basis," creating an illegal market valued at "$75 million a year," Fernandez Huidobro said. EFE

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/06/21/uruguay-legalizes-marijuana-to-fight-crime/#ixzz244HdP8XK


http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/06/21/uruguay-legalizes-marijuana-to-fight-crime/

[Mechanolater]

I'm not sayin' I'm visiting Uruguay. I'm sayin' I'm visiting Uruguay.

[Han Cholo]

I'm not sayin' I'm visiting Uruguay. I'm sayin' I'm visiting Uruguay.

Apparently, foreigners won't be allowed to buy drugs in Uruguay. The measure is for the wellbeing of Uruguayans only, to prevent them becoming a drug mecca in South America.

I am still happy for the Uruguayans though. Mexico would have awesome consequences if it did the same.

[Incal]

As always, Uruguay the most progressive country in the whole Americas. I remember when I was in Uruguay, not even cops cared if you smoked weed.

[Han Cholo]

As always, Uruguay the most progressive country in the whole Americas. I remember when I was in Uruguay, not even cops cared if you smoked weed.

I am sure Chile will be following up. And hopefully, Mexico and Brasil as well.

[poiuytrewq0987]

I am sure Chile will be following up. And hopefully, Mexico and Brasil as well.

All it takes is one for the house of cards to fall completely. The war on drugs was a complete and total waste of resources but you can be sure the US will continue to lobby for it because of countless LEOs who have made careers out of the imaginary war.

[Skrondsze]

No way it will be legalized here in Brazil. It's much more profitable as it is now: illegal.

[poiuytrewq0987]

No way it will be legalized here in Brazil. It's much more profitable as it is now: illegal.

Sup, how much for a gram?

[Skrondsze]

Sup, how much for a gram?

You can get it in great amounts (1 pound or more) for 2 dollars a gram. If you want just a little (less than 10g) then maybe 4 dollars a gram. I don't use it though (I had a few friends who told me that). But of course if you go near Paraguay then it could be much cheaper.

[Bobcat Fraser]

If I live to be a hundred, marijuana won't be legal in my lifetime. The USA is regressing, not progressing, so we'll see *more* banned substances placed on the battlefields of the failed war on drugs. Both gangsters and police make too much money from this continuous failure for there ever to be an end to it in the foreseeable future. Our new prisons need more inmates too.

[Bobcat Fraser]

Mexico would have awesome consequences if it did the same.

Felipe Calderon's drug strategy is psychotic! You build new cemeteries while we build new prisons. Both would be much emptier if there was no war on drugs. It meets and exceeds the definition of insanity many times over, so, if our leaders aren't crazy, they must just be greedy.

[Han Cholo]

I'm really hoping Mexico will legalize it in the following years. We can't keep this stupid drug war going.

[Loki]

Uruguay is great ... first Assange and now this. They just need to legalize cocaine now to really piss off America.

Btw Mextremist your signature is annoying ... :(

[Óttar]

Good for Uruguay. Hopefully everywhere else will follow suit.

[Incal]

I am sure Chile will be following up. And hopefully, Mexico and Brasil as well.

I think the next would be Argentina. Believe it or not Chile is more conservative in those regards, so is Brazil.

[Han Cholo]

I think the next would be Argentina. Believe it or not Chile is more conservative in those regards, so is Brazil.

I'm not so sure. My friends in Chile tell me Marijuana users in Chile are well spread. If it's not legalized now it'll be the next generation for sure. Chile is one of the Latin American country that consumes more Marijuana (even more than Uruguay) per capita.

[Incal]

My friends in Chile tell me Marijuana users in Chile are well spread.

I think they are spread all over Latin America :D

[Loki]

I think the next would be Argentina. Believe it or not Chile is more conservative in those regards, so is Brazil.

http://mexico.cnn.com/mundo/2012/06/07/argentina-debate-la-despenalizacion-del-consumo-personal-de-drogas

Argentina debate la despenalización del consumo personal de drogas

BUENOS AIRES (CNNMéxico) — La despenalización de la tenencia de droga para consumo personal está más cerca de hacerse realidad en Argentina. La Cámara de Diputados debate por primera desde este miércoles la discriminalización del cultivo y consumo en público de cualquier estupefaciente, además de la reducción de las penas a las mulas, personas que transportan drogas en su cuerpo.

Los tres bloques mayoritarios de la Cámara baja, el kirchnerismo, el radicalismo y el socialismo, consensuaron un borrador que, si se aprueba, modificará de modo sustancial la legislación actual sobre el consumo de drogas en el país.

Ese proyecto de ley propone descriminalizar la tenencia para consumo de cualquier tipo de drogas, incluida la cocaína y la heroína. Y serán los jueces quienes tendrán que establecer cuál es la máxima cantidad de droga permitida.

El proyecto también pretende despenalizar el consumo en la calle, salvo cuando esa conducta incite a los menores a imitarla. Respecto al cultivo, estaría permitido siempre que no tenga como fin su comercialización.

Hasta el momento, la Ley 23.737 la tenencia de drogas permitía que la policía detuviera a una persona, que luego debía demostrar “inequívocamente” que las mismas eran para uso personal. Se invertiría la carga probatoria: deberá ser el fiscal o el juez el que demuestre que la droga no es para consumo personal. “Es muy importante para que ya no sucedan casos como aquel del joven en la provincia de La Pampa que se tragó un gramo de cocaína para que la policía no lo detuviera. Y murió. Eso es porque la tenencia todavía es un delito. Ahora ya no lo será”, dijo Emilio Ruchansky, editor adjunto de THC, revista emblema de la cultura cannábica.

El proyecto de consenso entre los legisladores del Frente para la Victoria (FpV), la Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) y el FAP (Frente Amplio Progresista) otorgará mayor seguridad a quienes cultivan marihuana en sus hogares. “Antes uno podía cultivar una plantita, un vecino te denunciaba, te hacían un allanamiento y por ahí te pasabas 15 días detenido hasta que demostrabas que era un autocultivo. Eso también cambiará”, agrega Ruchansky. Además, de aprobarse la modificación a la ley se podrá consumir en la calle. “A lo sumo te podrán retirar la sustancia, porque seguirá siendo ilegal, para que cese la conducta, pero de ninguna manera te van a llevar a la comisaría”, explica el especialista.

La iniciativa plantea la reducción de la pena mínima para el contrabando de drogas para comercialización de cuatro años y medio a tres. El objetivo de la medida es permitir la excarcelación de las denominadas mulas utilizadas para el narcotráfico internacional, al menos en su primera detención.

El plan cuenta con la oposición del peronismo disidente y del macrismo (PRO, centroderecha). “Es irresponsable, y hasta frívolo, concentrarse en la despenalización en un país inundado de droga”, dijo el diputado Eduardo Amadeo, del Peronismo Federal. En contraposición, la legisladora Victoria Donda (FAP) afirmó en defensa del proyecto consensuado: “No olvidemos que de los 8,000 consumidores que cada año enfrentan una causa penal por tener drogas, la mayoría son jóvenes y pobres”. El proyecto contó con un fuerte espaldarazo popular el 5 de mayo, cuando miles de personas se movilizaron para pedir la despenalización.

También la Iglesia católica hizo oír su voz, pero en sentido contrario. La despenalización “favorecería el incremento de las facilidades y oportunidades para obtener estas sustancias, y por lo tanto, más que disminuirlo aumentaría el consumo, como ya ocurrió en otros países”, según un comunicado difundido por la Pastoral de Drogadependencia de la Conferencia Episcopal.

El debate incluye tres jornadas públicas en el Congreso, en el marco del plenario de las comisiones de Prevención de Adicciones y Control de Narcotráfico, y de Legislación Penal, y con la presencia de jueces y funcionarios entre los disertantes.

Está previsto que representantes de organizaciones de consumidores, madres de jóvenes consumidores de paco o pasta básica de cocaína, científicos, investigadores y sociólogos expertos en la materia. La tercera jornada se celebrará el miércoles 13 y se espera que anteceda al dictamen en comisión si se mantiene el consenso.

El arranque del debate en el Congreso coincidió con la difusión por la prensa local de un informe de la Sedronar (Secretaría de Programación para la Prevención de la Drogadicción y la Lucha contra el Narcotráfico) que da cuenta que el consumo de marihuana entre los estudiantes de secundaria en el país se triplicó en tres años: del 4,6 al 14%. El consumo de cocaína pasó del 1.4% de los jóvenes encuestados que la habían probado en 2001 a un 4.6 en 2011.

La marihuana es la droga ilícita de mayor consumo en el país. De acuerdo con un estudio nacional de 2010 de Sedronar, el 3,1% de la población entre 12 y 65 años declaró haber consumido cannabis en el año precedente. Con respecto a la cocaína, el 0,8% de las personas consultadas en esa franja reconoció su consumo. El 48% de los usuarios presentaban indicadores de dependencia.

[Loki]

Translated:

BUENOS AIRES (CNNMéxico) - The decriminalization of possession of drugs for personal use is closer to reality in Argentina. The Chamber of Deputies for the first discussion this Wednesday the decriminalization of the cultivation and consumption of any intoxicant in public, besides the reduction of sentences for mules, persons transporting drugs in his body.

The three major blocks of the lower house, the Baldwin, radicalism and socialism, agreed on a draft that, if approved, would substantially alter the current legislation on drug use in the country.

This bill proposes to decriminalize possession for consumption of any drugs, including cocaine and heroin. And will the judges who will have to establish what is the maximum allowable amount of drugs.

[Incal]

I knew it lol.

[Supreme American]

This is like the gay marriage thing. Everyone's tripping over each other to copy cat liberal white countries.

[Han Cholo]

This is like the gay marriage thing. Everyone's tripping over each other to copy cat liberal white countries.

How many liberal white countries have legalized pot (otherwise than Netherlands?) It's white countries who started this Marijuana criminalization shit on the other hand.

This is hardly like a unnecesary "gay marriage pass". If you think that you would completely be lacking perspective. These drug penalizations and drug wars are gettings lots of people who shouldn't be locked inside prison, overcrowding the jails and eventually making such minors offenders even more criminal like upon interacting closely behind ranks with top criminals and murderers amongst other stuff such as concentrating funds and authority on unnecesary issues that could be solved legally and peacefully. This is a security issue and not some measure to appeace gay people.