LatAm Countries Seeking Alternatives to Police, Military Intervention When It Comes to Cannabis Elizabeth Gonzalez - Americas Society/Council of the Americas
go to original April 14, 2017

Uruguay to Sell Cannabis in Pharmacies (NewsBeat Social)

Uruguay is about to take the lead with over-the-counter sales of marijuana in pharmacies. In 2013, it became the first country in the world to legalize consumption, along with marijuana’s sale and cultivation. Come July 2017, Uruguay’s recreational users and medical patients alike will be able to visit their local pharmacies for up to 40 grams of cannabis a month, or they can opt to grow it at home.

Whether it was Uruguay’s leadership or the war on drugs ravaging the region for decades, Latin Americans overall are becoming increasingly tolerant to the idea of legalizing marijuana, surveys show. For example, in the more than 10 years since the start of Mexico’s drug war, the portion of Mexicans who support legalizing the drug has steadily increased. Per Parametría, by February 2016, 29 percent of Mexicans were in favor of legalization, versus 7 percent in October 2008. A 2017 survey published in the International Journal of Drug Policy places support in Mexico even higher, at 41 percent.

Many countries have opted to take steps toward legalization. Most recently, Argentina’s legislature approved marijuana for medicinal use in March. Mexico’s Senate passed a medical marijuana bill in December, although the move still needs the lower house’s approval. Chile and Colombia also took the step of passing legislation allowing the use of medical marijuana in recent years, and Colombia also plans to offer a crop substitution program for farmers of illegal coca crops to cultivate marijuana legally instead as part of its peace process with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known as the FARC. This changing mindset shows that some countries are seeking alternatives to police and military intervention when it comes to marijuana.



Related: New US Bipartisan Bill Would Remove Pot from Schedule I Status (The Fix)

Related: Justin Trudeau Unveils Long-Awaited Bill to Legalize Recreational Marijuana (Newsweek)

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