Shocking Uruguay legalize weed

[colonel]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/11/uruguay-marijuana-breaks-international-treaty Whos next? and why we dont....

 

[davmat787]

Not shocking at all if you follow Uruguay politics. They are by far the most progressive and green county in South America. Coincidentally, both Hungary and Uruguay are my two "bug out" countries, each for various reasons.

Seriously, read up on Uruguay and you will be pleasantly surprised. It is not to be lumped in with other South American shitholes.

 

[unokitty]

War on Drugs a Trillion Dollar Failure

The Beginning of the End of the War on Drugs?

"The market is already completely lacking regulations and in the hands of criminals," says Julio Calzada, who heads Uruguay's National Secretariat on Drugs. "The only way to stop this is to remove the profitability from drug traffickers' business and put it into the hands of the state." The country plans to set prices low enough that they will compete with black market drugs, banking on easy availability and higher quality making up for any subsequent price drop in illicit markets.

Is the problem that people smoke marijuana?

Or, is the problem that people buying marijuana are providing criminals with money?

If you believe the problem is the latter, like this former MP does, then Uruguay seems to have a pretty good solution.

Best of luck to them!

Uno

 

[Theb]

Good for Uruguay.

It's only recently that I've seen any polling where a majority of Americans support legalization. I think that trend will continue, but I think legalization is going to face the same enthusiasm gap that gun control supporters face. You might get a majority of people in support of it, but when you drill down into the people who feel strongly about the issue I think it will be a long time before prolegalization people are a majority.

That's going to be compounded by money. On the prolegalization side we'll have NORML and a handful of small orgs. On the other side will be the DEA, The National Sheriffs Association, The Ad Council, most of the Sheriffs and Police Chiefs in the country, and of course the cartels. Washington's GMO labeling initiative recently highlighted the effect spending has on opinion.

 

[jhu]

Good for them. But Colorado is still closer to me.

 

[manimal]

I want to go back to Punta del este. I almost bought some property there a few years ago. Wife and I plan to get a retirement home in either that part of Uruguay or possibly Vina del mar which isnt that far across the border. This may sway me in this direction lol