Uraguay Legalizes Cannabis aka Pot Nationwide

With national legalization in Uraguay taking effect  on Tuesday, worldwide observers are looking at the specifics of the policy and its implementation given its historic position of creating full legalization of a substance illegal basically everyone else but with legalization movements around the world.

According to @serfer6 at Al Jazeera,

“The regulations allow three forms of access to marijuana. Uruguayans can purchase up to 40 grams per month – with a limit of 10 grams per week – from registered pharmacies. They can also choose to cultivate up to 6 homegrown plants, with a cap on annual production at 480 grams. Finally, as members of cannabis clubs, Uruguayans will be able to cultivate up to 99 plants per group, with a production cap of 480 grams per member. But smokers must choose one form of acquiring pot, and will be denied access to the drug by the other two means. The law officially takes effect on May 6, the government announced Friday.”

The article highlights similiarites between and the influence from legislation in two US states that has legalized multiple means of access to cannabis, but the uniqueness of a nation geographically positioned in a regian that is one of the hotbeds of global narcotic production.

“But in many ways the Uruguay measure stands alone – the result of a uniquely Latin America landscape marred by drug-related violence. Every marijuana buyer will have to register at local post offices. The registration system will allow the government to track users closely enough to get drug abusers into treatment facilities – with the hope of reducing consumption. The law, backed by physician groups, will also permit the government to produce pot for scientific and medical studies. And to dissuade marijuana tourism, only Uruguayan citizens and residents will be allowed to buy cannabis.”

More here from Al Jazeera.

Also for a great short 20 minutish documentary on the situation, check out journalist (and one-time Res Adviser in this journalist’s freshman dorm ) Krishna Andavou, check out this: