Uruguay to decriminalise its marijuana market
A MOVEMENT towards decriminalising drugs has started in earnest with Uruguay last week becoming the first country to look into creating a legal dagga market.
A draft law was approved in the lower house, and if adopted, it would see the sale and use of dagga become legal for non-medical use.
An Associated Press article on the matter said: “Legislators in the ruling coalition said putting the government at the centre of a legal marijuana industry is worth trying because the global war on drugs had been a costly and bloody failure, and displacing illegal dealers through licensed pot sales could save money and lives.”
In the US, according to the non-profit organisation ProCon.org it said dagga had been legalised for medical use in 20 states.
On the White House’s website, under the Office of National Drug Control Policy, it said dagga “is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States”.
It said US President Barack Obama’s administration was against legalising “any form of drug”.
The website said in terms of health, dagga use was harmful.
It said legalising it would result in the price of dagga being lowered and therefore an increase its use.
“Legalisation would do little, if anything, to curb drug violence,” the website said.
According to a Netherlands government website, “soft drugs” including dagga, could be sold from coffee shops there “under strict conditions.”
“The idea behind this is that (dagga) users do not need to buy their soft drugs from a dealer operating illegally, which would increase their chances of coming into contact with hard drugs,” it said.
“The Netherlands pursues a policy of toleration. This means that, though possessing and selling soft drugs are misdemeanours, prosecutions are usually not brought.”
Hard drugs, including heroin, ecstasy and cocaine, were illegal in the Netherlands, said the website.