Montevideo to be the new Amsterdam?
 

Uruguay to vote on marijuana legalisation bill

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23516966


"Uruguay's House of Representative is preparing to vote on a bill to legalise marijuana on Wednesday.

If passed by the House and the Senate, Uruguay will become the first country to legally regulate the production, distribution and sale of marijuana.

The law is backed by the government of President Jose Mujica, which says it will remove profits from drug dealers and divert users from harder drugs.

Under the bill, only the government would be allowed to sell marijuana.

The state would assume "the control and regulation of the importation, exportation, plantation, cultivation, the harvest, the production, the acquisition, the storage, the commercialization and the distribution of cannabis and its by-products".

Buyers would have to be registered on a database and be over the age of 18. They would be able to buy up to 40g (1.4oz) per month in specially licensed pharmacies or grow up to six plants at home.
Political hot potato

Fifty representatives out of the 99 sitting in the House will have to vote in favour of the bill for it to go to a second vote in the Senate.

While the governing Frente Amplio (Broad Front) coalition has a majority of one in the House, Frente Amplio Congressman Dario Perez has threatened to vote against the bill.

Three opposition representatives have expressed support for the bill, but it is not clear whether they will vote accordingly on Wednesday.

President of the House of Representatives German Cardoso predicted it would be "a long session, in which many representatives will want to take part".

The bill was unveiled last year by Defence Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro who argued that "the prohibition of certain drugs is creating more problems for society than the drugs themselves... with disastrous consequences".

But Mr Cardoso of the opposition Colorado Party said that "in no country in the world has the consumption of drugs been reduced through legalisation".

Another opposition politician, Richard Sander, said that even if the law made it through both chambers, he would launch a petition to have it overturned.

The vote comes amidst a vociferous debate about drug legalisation in Latin America.

A group of former presidents and influential social figures, including the Brazil's Henrique Cardoso, the Mexico's Ernesto Zedillo and Colombian ex-leader Cesar Gaviria, have called for the legalisation of marijuana.

But only last week Pope Francis criticised drug legalisation plans during a visit to Brazil.

Speaking at the inauguration of a clinic for drug addicts in Rio de Janeiro he said it was "necessary to tackle the problems which are at the root of drug abuse, promoting more justice, educating the youth with the values that live in society, standing by those who face hardship and giving them hope for the future".

I hope they legalize it and give an example to Latin America. Prohibition is not the way. And fuck Francis the pope, I can't care less about what he has to say.

With the style of the current Uruguay leader I suspect this will get through, he lives on a farm and only accepts a portion of his allocated salary.

Many people from Buenos Aires will be jumping onto a ferry for a long weekend in Montevideo.

I'm sure Uruguayans will be glad to receive Argentinians for a long weekend, furthermore, they'll be glad to receive their $$$. Though I also find it difficult for this to get through but who knows. Time will tell.

Definitely won't become the next Amsterdam. While it might attract some growers, generally weed sucks ass in South America. Plus not everyone is into the whole Latin American experience or 3rd world countries.

i hope so, its just 11 hours travel

Update

Uruguay MPs back marijuana legalisation bill
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23516966

"Members of Uruguay's House of Representatives have passed a bill to legalise marijuana.

If it goes on to be approved by the Senate, Uruguay will become the first country to regulate the production, distribution and sale of marijuana.

The measure is backed by the government of President Jose Mujica, who says it will remove profits from drug dealers and divert users from harder drugs.

Under the bill, only the government would be allowed to sell marijuana."

Kind a funny how goverment of uruguay and me having matching opinion on some things - i am also for full legalization and also for being produced by goverment only.

it isn't as if it isn't already the lifestyle of one from uruguay, that country is so under-developed it is not funny, i think that plays a part.

40g a month.. that´s not much.

Nice one!

lol better off growing the 6 plants, you can get a minimum of 20g per plant every 8-12 weeks. But if your any good at growing the green crack much more than :thumbsup

I seriously hope the rest of the world is tuned into this as prohibition just does not work.

'So under-developed'? Are you serious? Have you been there?

Ever heard of Denver?

This is different I believe. The government itself wants to sell the weed to its citizens.

Think I'll wait till it's legalized next year here in Oregon (already been decriminalized & tolerated for decades), where we actually have good weed.

But yeah, nowhere's going to become "the next Amsterdam" because legalization will be the norm in most places within the next decade.

The weed is bad in South America because most of it is brick weed sold massively at a low price. However, you can still get good quality weed, from people who know how to grow plants. It's difficult to find and pricey.

If anything this might improve the overall quality.