Uruguay legalise marijuana

BIG_ROB

From Sky News

"Uruguay has become the first country to legalise the growing, sale and smoking of marijuana - a radical tactic in the fight against drug trafficking.

The government-sponsored bill was approved by 16-13 votes in the Senate.

Backers of the law, some smoking joints, gathered near Congress holding green balloons, Jamaican flags in homage to Bob Marley and a sign saying: "Cultivating freedom, Uruguay grows."

"We begin a new experience in April. It involves a big cultural change that focuses on public health and the fight against drug trafficking," Uruguay's first lady, Senator Lucía Topolansky, said.

Cannabis consumers will be able to buy a maximum of 40g (1.4oz) each month from licensed pharmacies as long as they are Uruguayan residents, over the age of 18, and registered on a database that will monitor their monthly purchases.

When the law is implemented in 120 days, Uruguayans will be able to grow six marijuana plants in their homes a year, or as much as 480g (approx 17oz), and form smoking clubs of 15 to 45 members that can grow up to 99 plants per year.
Uruguay Man Smoking Marijuana JointA supporter smokes a joint during a march
Registered drug users should be able to start buying marijuana over the counter from licensed pharmacies in April.

The bill gives authorities 120 days to set up a drug control board that will regulate cultivation standards, fix the price and monitor consumption.

Marijuana use has been legal in Uruguay but until now cultivation and sale of the drug were not.

Some countries such as Canada, the Netherlands and Israel have legal programmes for growing medical cannabis but do not allow its cultivation for recreational use.

Last year, the US states of Colorado and Washington passed ballot initiatives that legalise and regulate the recreational use of marijuana.

The move has faced fierce opposition from conservatives and, according to a recent opinion poll, 58% of Uruguayans oppose legalising cannabis.

"Competing with drug traffickers by offering marijuana at a lower price will just increase the market for a drug that has negative effects on public health," said Senator Alfredo Solari of the conservative Colorado Party."

tangoflash

Well, we all know where Maybe_baby is going on holiday next year then................

BIG_ROB

Tourists are banned from buying and using it still

Garrymanilow

Well, our World Cup group suddenly looks a lot easier

kentaddick

Eventually cannabis being illegal will seem as ridiculous to us as alcohol prohibition.

Lincsaddick

Uruguay, the new Norway, floating to prosperity on a divine cloud of exported spliffs ((:>)

JohnBoyUK

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

kentaddick

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Cannabis only increases your chances of suffering mental health issues if you are already predisposed to a problem. Even then it's only a few percent.

shine166

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Classic response. Just hope you dont drink alcohol or do any other disease inducing past times

RedPanda

South America is going through a stage of upheaval over the lost 'war on drugs'. Expect more countries to follow suit, while cocaine could be tackled as the next healthcare problem. They're sick of the US throwing money at them for a war they cannot win and when the wholesale demand for drugs is in North America. It won't be legalisation but decriminalisation. How that will affect the international trade I'm not sure.

Stu_of_Kunming

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

My mental health is perfectly fine and it's been years since I started smoking.

shine166

The war on drugs keeps a lot of people in work and also makes a lot of people rich. Poppy production also up 10 fold in Afghanistan over the last 5-6 years and under the US protection.. a lot of people are getting very rich

Stu_of_Kunming

shine166 said:

The war on drugs keeps a lot of people in work and also makes a lot of people rich. Poppy production also up 10 fold in Afghanistan over the last 5-6 years and under the US protection.. a lot of people are getting very rich

Got offered opium all over Laos, it was even on the menu in one of my hotels in Vang Vieng.

JT

Did it come with chips and salad?

kentaddick

RedPanda said:

South America is going through a stage of upheaval over the lost 'war on drugs'. Expect more countries to follow suit, while cocaine could be tackled as the next healthcare problem. They're sick of the US throwing money at them for a war they cannot win and when the wholesale demand for drugs is in North America. It won't be legalisation but decriminalisation. How that will affect the international trade I'm not sure.

exactly, drugs, weapons and humans are the 3 things gangs and cartels can make any money on. Legalise drugs, you take away at least half of their business. Who wants to join a gang and make no money? It still leaves the other two lines of business but they will be far easier to crack down on without drug money lining the gang leader's pockets.

Another thing for parents to think about - just remember, a drug dealer doesnt ask for ID.

kentaddick

shine166 said:

The war on drugs keeps a lot of people in work and also makes a lot of people rich. Poppy production also up 10 fold in Afghanistan over the last 5-6 years and under the US protection.. a lot of people are getting very rich

the only reason drugs are illegal is because governments and police forces can make more money "fighting" the war on drugs than letting that profit go into the economy through regulation and taxation.

shine166

kentaddick said:

shine166 said:

The war on drugs keeps a lot of people in work and also makes a lot of people rich. Poppy production also up 10 fold in Afghanistan over the last 5-6 years and under the US protection.. a lot of people are getting very rich

the only reason drugs are illegal is because governments and police forces can make more money "fighting" the war on drugs than letting that profit go into the economy through regulation and taxation.

100% agree with this

JT

Kent Addicks are the best Addicks.

Fact.

Plaaayer

Stu_of_Kunming said:

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

My mental health is perfectly fine and it's been years since I started smoking.

That's debatable!

kentaddick

JT said:

Kent Addicks are the best Addicks.

Fact.

mrbligh

JT said:

Kent Addicks are the best Addicks.

Fact.

Booooooooooo

Leroy Ambrose

All drugs sh

kentaddick said:

shine166 said:

The war on drugs keeps a lot of people in work and also makes a lot of people rich. Poppy production also up 10 fold in Afghanistan over the last 5-6 years and under the US protection.. a lot of people are getting very rich

the only reason drugs are illegal is because governments and police forces can make more money "fighting" the war on drugs than letting that profit go into the economy through regulation and taxation.

100% accurate

kings hill addick

kentaddick said:

shine166 said:

The war on drugs keeps a lot of people in work and also makes a lot of people rich. Poppy production also up 10 fold in Afghanistan over the last 5-6 years and under the US protection.. a lot of people are getting very rich

the only reason drugs are illegal is because governments and police forces can make more money "fighting" the war on drugs than letting that profit go into the economy through regulation and taxation.

Is it not, in some small part, because they are not very good for you?

I don't know any Heroin or Crack Cocaine addicts but I'm led to believe that their life is less fulfilling than those of us that don't consume those drugs.

PopIcon

kentaddick said:

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Cannabis only increases your chances of suffering mental health issues if you are already predisposed to a problem. Even then it's only a few percent.

There are approx 50,000,000 adults in the UK, what's a few percent of that? 1,500,000? That is quite a few people with a predisposition, but I actually suspect its more than 3%. I have a close friend who works in mental health services, the detrimental implications of marijuana on any given persons mental health outweighs drinking, smoking and every other recreational drug combined.

Henry Irving

PopIcon said:

kentaddick said:

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Cannabis only increases your chances of suffering mental health issues if you are already predisposed to a problem. Even then it's only a few percent.

There are approx 50,000,000 adults in the UK, what's a few percent of that? 1,500,000? That is quite a few people with a predisposition, but I actually suspect its more than 3%. I have a close friend who works in mental health services, the detrimental implications of marijuana on any given persons mental health outweighs drinking, smoking and every other recreational drug combined.

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/cannabis.aspx

kings hill addick

A relative of mine is a heavy Cannabis user and even though she shows no signs of mental illness her continued use of the drug has caused significant upset within the family and her relationship with all of her relatives is strained and unpleasant.

As true as it might be that alcohol is worse (and I have no idea either way) there is no doubt that there are a lot of reasons as to why Cannabis is best left alone.

kentaddick

PopIcon said:

kentaddick said:

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Cannabis only increases your chances of suffering mental health issues if you are already predisposed to a problem. Even then it's only a few percent.

There are approx 50,000,000 adults in the UK, what's a few percent of that? 1,500,000? That is quite a few people with a predisposition, but I actually suspect its more than 3%. I have a close friend who works in mental health services, the detrimental implications of marijuana on any given persons mental health outweighs drinking, smoking and every other recreational drug combined.

I mean to say that if you are already predisposed to suffer from depression/anxiety/schizophrenia, cannabis will only increase your chances of developing an illness very slightly. I also point out the hundreds of thousands/millions of deaths due to alcohol, cigarette and just about any other recreational drug compared to cannabis. The official line from this government is that it causes mental health issues, there's an increasing amount of studies that show that the benefits outweigh the negatives, thus why medical cannabis is such a growing industry.

Henry Irving said:

PopIcon said:

kentaddick said:

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Cannabis only increases your chances of suffering mental health issues if you are already predisposed to a problem. Even then it's only a few percent.

There are approx 50,000,000 adults in the UK, what's a few percent of that? 1,500,000? That is quite a few people with a predisposition, but I actually suspect its more than 3%. I have a close friend who works in mental health services, the detrimental implications of marijuana on any given persons mental health outweighs drinking, smoking and every other recreational drug combined.

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/cannabis.aspx

note the mental health problems studies are done on teenagers (around 14-16 years old). I say again, a drug dealer doesnt ask for ID. What about the mental and physical health of young teenagers that binge drink every day and smoke cigarettes every day?

shine166

..and stats never lie ? 50 years ago smoking was good for you and your life style, now it is so bad they put images of dead lungs on the packets. If the people in power really cared about us tobacco would be banned too. As it is, cannabis is banned unless it is synthetically reproduced to be sold by doctors... once again its all down to money. If im growing weed in my garden , im not plowing money into the governments pockets.

PopIcon said:

kentaddick said:

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Cannabis only increases your chances of suffering mental health issues if you are already predisposed to a problem. Even then it's only a few percent.

There are approx 50,000,000 adults in the UK, what's a few percent of that? 1,500,000? That is quite a few people with a predisposition, but I actually suspect its more than 3%. I have a close friend who works in mental health services, the detrimental implications of marijuana on any given persons mental health outweighs drinking, smoking and every other recreational drug combined.

Leroy Ambrose

'Regular' smoking and drinking alcohol are far worse for you than gear is. And I say this as a man who has never taken a single illegal substance in his life. The vast majority of ill effects of cannabis are felt as repercussive effects of the illegality of the drug.

kings hill addick

shine166 said:

..and stats never lie ? 50 years ago smoking was good for you and your life style, now it is so bad they put images of dead lungs on the packets. If the people in power really cared about us tobacco would be banned too. As it is, cannabis is banned unless it is synthetically reproduced to be sold by doctors... once again its all down to money. If im growing weed in my garden , im not plowing money into the governments pockets.

PopIcon said:

kentaddick said:

JohnBoyUK said:

Jeez, I dread to think what repercussions that will have on their mental health over the next few years and onwards into the future.

Cannabis only increases your chances of suffering mental health issues if you are already predisposed to a problem. Even then it's only a few percent.

There are approx 50,000,000 adults in the UK, what's a few percent of that? 1,500,000? That is quite a few people with a predisposition, but I actually suspect its more than 3%. I have a close friend who works in mental health services, the detrimental implications of marijuana on any given persons mental health outweighs drinking, smoking and every other recreational drug combined.

They are working on it though aren't they? Smoking is being banned bit by bit.

ValleyGary

kings hill addick said:

kentaddick said:

shine166 said:

The war on drugs keeps a lot of people in work and also makes a lot of people rich. Poppy production also up 10 fold in Afghanistan over the last 5-6 years and under the US protection.. a lot of people are getting very rich

the only reason drugs are illegal is because governments and police forces can make more money "fighting" the war on drugs than letting that profit go into the economy through regulation and taxation.

Is it not, in some small part, because they are not very good for you?

I don't know any Heroin or Crack Cocaine addicts but I'm led to believe that their life is less fulfilling than those of us that don't consume those drugs.

I can go to the shop and by a Twix bar every few days, where as someone else eats 4 a day, gets extremely overweight, costs the NHS a fortune and their life is pretty shit.

Will Twix's be made illegal?