Uruguay to debate legalising marijuana
August 9th, 2012 - 8:35 pm ICT by IANSMoscow, Aug 9 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Uruguay’s parliament will debate full legalisation of marijuana, with state control over its production and distribution, the El Pais daily reported Thursday.
“The bill remains open to amendment,” said Social Development Minister Daniel Olesker.
“It is designed to legalise this market. And after dividing up the legal and illegal drug markets, it will allow us to battle with illegal drug trafficking,” the minister said.
The government recently announced an initiative for the draft law, which will instruct the government to grow, produce, distribute and sell marijuana.
Uruguay is one of few countries in the world that has never made drug possession a criminal offence, although cultivation of marijuana is an offence, according to the TransNational Institute campaign group.
Since 1974, Uruguayan law has set no quantity limits for possession, leaving it to a judge’s discretion to determine whether drug possession was for personal use.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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Tags: campaign group, countries in the world, criminal offence, cultivation of marijuana, development minister, dg, discretion, draft law, drug markets, drug possession, drug trafficking, illegal drug, initiative, legalisation of marijuana, moscow, parliament, personal use, quantity limits, ria novosti, transnational institute