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Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

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Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#21

Post by wahnfrieden »

plorkyeran wrote: post #16
JoshTriplett wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The phrasing suggests that the state does the actual selling, which seems fundamentally broken. Regulate, sure, but don't become part of the market you're regulating.

That's how it works for alcohol in several countries, and while I don't think any of them have managed to show any actual benefits from doing it that way, it's also not a total disaster.

It's awful for beer, for one example. It means that breweries can only produce things for mass markets. Governments demand a base amount of each single item so that they can create and meet demands. They won't take special, small-batch items, because they're looking to stock shelves all over. This drastically alters what breweries are able to experiment with (if at all).

If you view marijuana as a commodity item, then maybe government sale makes sense. You could view ale the same way, but it'd be an unfortunately shortsighted judgment.

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#22

Post by wahnfrieden »

wildster wrote: post #18
GFischer wrote: post #3

Well, I'm from Uruguay, so I'll be glad to answer any questions on the subject :) The bill was proposed by the governing left wing Broad Front coalition, and voted by all their congressmen. While the vote appears close, there was more consensus than is shown. My party (Partido Independiente, the smallest of the four represented) decided not to vote the whole bill, but only some parts, because they're for legalization…

40g a month is a lot more than I thought that a government would go for. 28g is a ounce.

It's troubling probably because possession above that amount means you're a dealer or something along those lines - whatever is the current law. It means you can't have a stockpile of more than a month's worth.

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#23

Post by GFischer »

supervillain wrote: post #20

Legalizing Marijuana is one of the sureshot way to boost the economy of any country (poor, third world, middle and rich) through tourism, travel/leisure, business commerce and export.

Uruguay already benefits a lot from being gay-friendly, we get lots of cruises. I hope this will give a similar boost :)

Same-sex marriage became legal today, actually :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Uruguay

Edit: August 5, sorry, still, it's very close !

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#24

Post by jjsz »

GFischer wrote: post #17
jjsz wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm from Puerto Rico, supporter of the Sovereign Free Associated State, can you reference those two alternative papers you've mentioned? It gets harder and harder to find straight policy files. For example South Korea's recently combined new economic policies for economic development, they're mostly in bits and pieces throughout blogs.

I'll have to dig around, I had a hard time finding the text voted today, I believe it's this one http://www.espectador.com/documentos/Marihuana.pdf I'll ask my representative for the alternative text from my party, but I don't think I'll be able to get the other one. They're bills, not scientific studies, I don't know if that's what you wanted :) .

Thanks, the Sunlight Foundation doesn't curate these things :-/.

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#25

Post by jjsz »

singold wrote: post #19
jjsz wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm from Puerto Rico, supporter of the Sovereign Free Associated State, can you reference those two alternative papers you've mentioned? It gets harder and harder to find straight policy files. For example South Korea's recently combined new economic policies for economic development, they're mostly in bits and pieces throughout blogs.

Maybe this could help http://www.parlamento.gub.uy/repartidos/AccesoRepartidos.asp... Its more 'official' Edit: I'm not 100% sure this is what was efectively voted

Thanks, got the PDF, this was something like an open letter.

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#27

Post by eshvk »

qwertzlcoatl wrote: post #6
D9u wrote: post #2

This is a good start. By removing the profit motive from cannabis production it helps to reduce cartel receipts, helps to reduce smuggling, and separates cannabis from other, truly harmful, drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin. That so many US states have already made provisions to either decriminalize medical use, and or recreational use, by individuals, serves to illustrate that cannabis is nowhere n…

I remember the Netherlands had so few criminals that it had to shut down several prisons and lay off hundreds of staff members and started importing criminals from other countries like Belgium on a contract basis because of the lack of people to incarcerate. [1] This is the country where you could just drive into its capital and buy every strain of cannabis you can possibly imagine and different strains of psilocybin…

I am not clear how there is a causal link between the two. Are you saying that legal weed/shrooms causes crime to go down? Or are you merely pointing a correlation?

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#28

Post by D9u »

eshvk wrote: post #27
qwertzlcoatl wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I remember the Netherlands had so few criminals that it had to shut down several prisons and lay off hundreds of staff members and started importing criminals from other countries like Belgium on a contract basis because of the lack of people to incarcerate. [1] This is the country where you could just drive into its capital and buy every strain of cannabis you can possibly imagine and different strains of psilocybin…

I am not clear how there is a causal link between the two. Are you saying that legal weed/shrooms causes crime to go down? Or are you merely pointing a correlation?

It seems obvious that if drugs such as cannabis are held to the same standard as decidedly more deadly, legal, drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, then the accompanying crime statistics are bound to be less.

Pot heads aren't known for their violent tendencies, as compared to alcoholics.

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#29

Post by D9u »

wildster wrote: post #18
GFischer wrote: post #3

Well, I'm from Uruguay, so I'll be glad to answer any questions on the subject :) The bill was proposed by the governing left wing Broad Front coalition, and voted by all their congressmen. While the vote appears close, there was more consensus than is shown. My party (Partido Independiente, the smallest of the four represented) decided not to vote the whole bill, but only some parts, because they're for legalization…

40g a month is a lot more than I thought that a government would go for. 28g is a ounce.

40 grams per month is slightly more than one joint a day. Some people consume more than that, some less, but 40 grams a month is nowhere near the amount held by dealers.

Re: Uruguay moves to legalize marijuana

#30

Post by jlgreco »

Buzaga wrote: post #26
supervillain wrote: post #20

Legalizing Marijuana is one of the sureshot way to boost the economy of any country (poor, third world, middle and rich) through tourism, travel/leisure, business commerce and export.

Only uruguayans are allowed to buy it.

If my understanding is correct (and it very well may not be), it is similar in Amsterdam; tourists have more restrictions than locals. Their laws still seem to benefit their tourism though.
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