Uruguay’s middle-ground approach to cannabis legalization

Abstract

Cannabis legalization is a serious topic of discussion in the Western Hemisphere. Since 2012, voters in eight U.S. states have passed laws to legalize large-scale cannabis production and allow profit-maximizing companies to grow and sell it for nonmedical purposes. Voters in Washington DC also approved legalization, but supply is limited to home production and gifting—retail sales are not allowed. In 2013, Uruguay’s President José Mujica ratified a legalization bill that is noteworthy for at least three reasons. Most importantly, it made Uruguay the first country in the world to remove the prohibition on cannabis supply for nonmedical purposes. Second, Uruguay’s middle-ground approach to cannabis supply falls in between the two options commonly discussed in the United States: prohibition versus the standard commercial model. Third, the law was approved by politicians, not the voters.

Cannabis decriminalization: A study of recent policy change in five U.S. states

“…Some might question the relevance of a study on cannabis decriminalization in a policy environment where a majority of the public in the United States and other countries supports commercial legalization of cannabis, and the number of citizens with access to legalized cannabis continues to grow both nationally and internationally (Cerda & Kilmer, 2017; Hajizadeh, 2016; McCarthy, 2017; Mendiburo-Seguel et al, 2017). However, there is an international trend toward decriminalization of possession for all drugs, and results of cannabis policy changes may help predict consequences of similar policy changes for other drugs (MacCoun & Reuter, 2001).…”

Meeting the Good Other: Proper Distance and the Representation of José Mujica in Swedish Feature Journalism

“…Scholars have also noted Mujica distancing himself from his guerilla past in his contemporary speeches (Montero 2015). Policies implemented by Mujica's government include the right to same-sex marriage (Rivera-Vélez 2018), the decriminalization of abortion (Fernandez Anderson 2017) and the legalization of cannabis (Cerdá and Kilmer 2017), 2 serving to cast Uruguay as a progressive-liberal country. Mujica is also renowned for his ascetic lifestyle, which includes the donation of a large part of his salary and commuting in an old Volkswagen Beetle.…”

Association between cannabis and the eyelids: A comprehensive review

“…On a global scale, cannabis has been subjected to a complex history of decriminalization and legalization. Canada became the second country to legalize recreational cannabis with the Cannabis Act in 2018 after Uruguay in 2013 . In the United States, more than 20 states have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis .…”

“…Canada became the second country to legalize recreational cannabis with the Cannabis Act in 2018 after Uruguay in 2013. 9,10 In the United States, more than 20 states have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis. 11 Due to the increasing widespread use of cannabis, more states and countries are considering bills that would legalize adult use of cannabis.…”