In late April, nearly 2,000 people came together in downtown São Paulo to hold a demonstration that demanded that the production and sale of marijuana be legalized. According to police reports, demonstrators were caring posters that read “Legalize Marijuana Now” and “Marijuana is Medicine.” There were also some demonstrators smoking marijuana cigarettes. It was a peaceful demonstration and there were no arrests.
While Brazil does not actively punish personal marijuana use, transporting small amounts and trafficking are criminal offenses that are punishable by drug abuse education and community service. It’s interesting to note that in 2013, former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso stood with former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in a call for decriminalizing all drugs and allowing countries to experiment with the regulation of drugs.
The United States Is Moving Towards Legalization
The demonstration in São Paulo comes shortly after several states in the United States have legalized marijuana sale and use. Surveys show that the majority of Americans favor legalization, and President Barack Obama, who has admitted smoking marijuana in his youth, has publically stated his belief that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol.
Although the production, sale, and use of marijuana is illegal on the national level, 21 U.S. states have passed laws allowing the medical use of marijuana and eight states currently have pending legislation to legalize marijuana for medical use. Two states, Washington and Colorado, have legalized marijuana for sale and recreational use.
Uruguay Now Regulates Legal Marijuana
On March 2nd, Uruguay became the first country in the world to regulate the production, sale, and use of marijuana on a national level. Its newly released regulations are ushering in the implementation of a legal marijuana market and should be fully operational before the end of the year. The government will also be releasing regulations governing medical marijuana.
The new regulations allow residents of Uruguay to grow up to six plants per household, participate in a membership club that can grow up to 99 plants, or purchase up to ten grams per week from a licensed pharmacy. The program requires registration and cooperation with related regulations on where marijuana can be used. In a move to undercut illegal sales, President Under-Secretary Diego Canepa has set the price at roughly $1 per gram.
Given the apparent international drift towards reducing restrictions on the sale and use of marijuana, the pro-legalization demonstrators in São Paulo may have reason to be optimistic.
