URUGUAY: President Jose Mujica decides to delay project to legalise marijuana and claims that people need to be better informed on the issues involved

Record ID: 351564

  • Title: URUGUAY: President Jose Mujica decides to delay project to legalise marijuana and claims that people need to be better informed on the issues involved
  • Date: 19th December 2012
  • Summary: NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE WITH ARTICLE ABOUT THE DELAY
  • Embargoed: 3rd January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Uruguay
  • Country: Uruguay
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACVQPBA52O5NEX8N9Z1Y4BSW1I
  • Story Text: Uruguay's Jose Mujica, announced on Tuesday (December 18) that implementation of a law to legalize marijuana would be temporarily suspended.
    The use of cannabis and other drugs is already legal in Uruguay, one of Latin America's safest countries and a trailblazer on liberal lawmaking, but the sale and cultivation of drugs is not.
    While the bill is expected to pass if voted on in Congress, the decision to delay the process came after a poll showed that 64 percent of Uruguayans were against the proposed law.
    Mujica, who claims that state control of the sale and production of marijuana would help curb violence and other illegal activities associated with drug trafficking, said that Uruguayans need to be better informed about the topic.

    "People must be educated. Then we will talk. I have confidence that the Uruguayan people will understand that we are at war [against drug trafficking] and that we are using a weapon that doesn't work. We are giving away the population to drug trafficking. [JOURNALIST ASKS: You have brought this up as an issue for discussion, is this because you think the discussion is still incomplete?] For that reason I suspended it. There is no reason to vote on a law just because it has the majority in parliament. The majority has to come from the streets. The people have to understand that with violence and putting people in prison the only thing we are doing is helping the drug trafficking market," said Mujica.
    People on the streets of Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, weighed in on the bill's suspension.

    "Yes, I agree with what the president says, that the people haven't been sufficiently informed. But, I don't know if education can teach one to consume marijuana correctly. I think that at the very least it needs to be left until next year and to see what happens," said Estela Das Chagas.
    Others however, were disappointed with the delay.

    "Once it starts the issue should continue to see where it goes," said Fredy Rodriguez.

    "No, it should continue. I think it's a personal right," said Julio Atijas.
    Martin Collazo, a member of Prolegal, an organisation that advocates for the legalization of marijuana, said the president's announcement was unclear.

    "The truth is, is that there is a lot of uncertainty. I am not sure what the president means. I don't know if it means they will vote on it at the beginning of the year or at the end of next year. This would change the situation a lot. But, in any case what we can do is concentrate on continuing the work and continue informing people about the arguments involved," said Collazo.
    He also expressed wariness concerning the government's use of polls to make decisions.

    "I was a bit frustrated, because the truth is that after so many years one starts to get a bit tired. Luckily, to govern based on polls is something that hasn't happened before in our country," added Collazo.
    Under the proposed law, households would be allowed to have up to six plants, or as much as 480 grams (about 17 ounces) of marijuana, and the state would be responsible for managing and regulating trade from cultivation to distribution.
    Some opponents of the bill, however, have warned that Uruguay risks riling governments battling drug-related violence in the region, such as Colombia and Mexico, as well as the United States.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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