Uruguay Goes Green and Legalizes Marijuana

It’s true. For the first time ever – an entire country has legalized marijuana. What we find quite fascinating is that it wasn’t because of the will of the people. Most of Uruguayans are against legalizing marijuana but the senate voted 16-13 in favor of the measure. The country now has 120 days to regulate the sale and consumption of marijuana to anyone who is over 18 years of age. Tourists, on the other hand, will not be allowed to purchase cannabis.

Arguments in Favor of Legalization

There are several reasons why Uruguay decided to legalize marijuana. First of all, this decision will surely undermine the drug cartels that profited from drug trafficking. Even though Uruguay doesn’t have a high crime rate, the authorities believe it would be cheaper and, in the end, more beneficial to the entire country, to accept and regulate marijuana instead of banning it. The Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis will be in charge of that particular development.

Make no mistake; all eyes are on Uruguay right now. Because of the controversial move, other countries in Latin America are closely watching the turn of events. Because if Uruguay succeeds in implementing marijuana regulations, it would mark a true turning point for the entire continent and other countries will surely follow its example. The U.S. is not keeping a blind eye to the news either. Ever since Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana, everybody kept wondering who would follow their decision. Nobody thought of Uruguay as next in line.

Regulations & Implementation

Still, you wont exactly be able to buy kilos upon kilos of ganja and then resell it as you see fit. You will be allowed to buy up to 40 grams of marijuana per month, from outlets regulated by the government. Of course, this will require you to become a part of the registry of marijuana consumers, so the country can monitor cannabis usage and make sure nobody skipped their quota. Over time, there will probably be enough people that share a similar interest. The best thing about is that they will be allowed to open a marijuana aficionado club.

If you like to keep your habit private, you are also on the good side of the Uruguayan new marijuana law. In short, you will be allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants per year, which would roughly result in a yield around 450 ounces. Things are getting really exciting in Latin America right now because a fair amount of drug cartels have their headquarters located on that continent. We’re talking about the big boys from Colombia and Mexico. Even though their dealings revolve around cocaine, we have a feeling the black drug market will suffer a certain blow (no pun intended) stemming from this decision.