Revolutionary Legalization
Levi McKercher Alex Darrington Pd 6
Uruguay was in the process of a world first. In August, the South American country legalized the drug, Marijuana (cannabis), for recreational use. They were the first country in the world to date that legalized this drug completely, up to 40g (1.4oz) per month. They based this law off of the allowance of Marijuana use in US states Colorado and Washington. The United States still has federal laws against marijuana use/possession, and the Netherlands has allowed approved businesses to sell the plant in low quantities, but the growth and supply is still illegal.
The lower house of Congress in Uruguay passed the bill with a vote of 50 to 46 in favor. Uruguay’s government wanted “to encourage the consideration of new approaches” in reference to so many drug convictions in their country. There was heavy opposition before the law was passed, but advocates argued that organized crime and secret usage related to the drugs were more harmful than the drugs themselves. The UN drug conventions have been heavily opposed to legalization of all prohibited drugs of today, but Uruguay took other actions to lessen the problems that corrupted their country.
The legalization of cannabis in Uruguay will greatly affect the countries’ economy. The Uruguay government has argued they will spend less money on the conviction and prevention of marijuana consumption by legalizing it. Also, the government can now focus more on violent crime and hard drug smuggling. The legalization will open up more markets related to the production and consumption of cannabis. Possibly, drug awareness programs would be made to spread information about safe usage. Finally, the government will make revenue on a previously underground and not taxable industry.
1. Do you feel Uruguay legalizing cannabis will help it’s economy or harm it?
2. Do you feel this will help or harm Uruguay’s drug related crime problems?
Author Unknown "The Experiment; Drug Legalisation in Uruguay." The Economist (US) 3 Aug. 2013: 31. Print.
7 comments:
1) it will obviously harm it because it is not good for you!
2)It will harm them because people will be high and will not know or care what they are doing....
I think this will effect the economy, because drugs are no good to anybody and it doesn't make anything any better.
Sammie Peterson
I think it will help the economy because there are tons of druggies in the world who are going to buy marijuana. Especially if its legal!
I think it could harm it because even though its legal to sell in small amounts, you know there are going to be people who abuse the law and sell large amounts behind the governments back.
1. I don't think it will harm its economy.
2.I think this will help Uruguay's drug related crime problems.
Sydney Blair
Amanda Berberich
1. I don't think legalizing it will hurt nor harm the economy.
2. I think legalizing marijuana will definitely harm the drug problems already present in Uruguay.
1. I don't think that leagalizing this would cause harm to the economy.
2. I think that more than likely that you would see people that would go behind the governments back and abuse the law.
Levi McKercher and Alex Darrington
I couldn't help but responding to Lilli's answer. Our question was related to the economy, not the fact of whether the drug is good for you or not. Your opinion on that is irrelevent to us, we just wanted to know if you thought this would help or hurt Uruguay's economy. If people were "getting high", they would be putting money into local dispensaries, therefore giving money to small business owners and the government in taxes. Good response, though.
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