This year, a green revolution is stirring in South Americas’s 2nd smallest nation…

Uruguay’s Motto: Liberty or death

 Uruguay: A modern Utopia?

Despite taking up a fairly modest amount of space on the map and having a relatively small population (just over 3.3million, as of 2011), the country of Uruguay has some stats which would shame many larger, wealthier nations around the world:

• In 1997, Uruguay was the first country in the Americas to provide complete digital telephone coverage from border to border.
• In 2009, Uruguay became the first country in the Americas to provide a laptop computer for each and every one of its primary school pupils as part of the ‘One Laptop per Child’
  

  An enlightened approach to cannabis

  project

• Today, Uruguay contributes more on a per-capita basis to the UN peacekeeping forces than any other nation on earth.

Statistics like these paint a picture of a liberal, progressive, peace-loving and forward-looking nation that looks set to grow from strength to strength as the 21st Century progresses.

More recently, a controversial bill has allowed Uruguay to go down in the history books as the first country in the world to allow cannabis to be cultivated, sold and consumed legally: But will this prove to be a crowning achievement, or a failed experiment?

An englighted approach to cannabis

Uruguay is a country on the cusp of a revolution: But far from being a violent movement,

paradise on earth?

this uprising looks set to be a pretty mellow affair…

By re-thinking its laws when it comes to regulating the cultivation, trade and consumption of cannabis, officials in Uruguay hope to clamp down on illegal drug trafficking and narcotic-related violence.

The first steps towards a state-controlled marijuana market are already in effect:

• Following the approval of the new bill, a special board will be set up in order to regulate the quality, quantity and pricing structure of the newly legalised herb.
• Cannabis seeds breeders, growers and traders will have to apply for special licences in order to legally cultivate and sell marijuana.
• Uruguayans over the age of 18 will be allowed to purchase a controlled-quantity of cannabis (up to 40g per month) frm licenced outlets, once they register their details on a national database.

This innovative approach is already inspiring lawmakers across Latin America, who are looking for bold new ways to re-think their policies, with the aim of lowering drug-related crime and violence.

$1 per gram for legalised cannabis – is this the price of freedom?

Uruguay’s motto: ‘Freedom or Death’ might give you some clues as to this nation’s mind-set when it comes to protecting its citizens’ liberty: But, given the bargain-basement prices being suggested for legal weed, has this country gone too far with its drugs laws?

• By keeping the prices of state-controlled legal cannabis fixed at extremely reasonable rates, the Uruguayan government plans to cut illegal drug traffickers out of the picture together, meaning that higher-quality, afer produce can be readily purchased by its citizens.
• Licensed cannabis purchasers are limited to a monthly cap, with registered citizens being allowed to grow uup to six plants in their homes annually: It is hoped that this will encourage responsible use.
• It has been argued that controlled, safe use of legalised cannabis is less of a threat to public safety than the spectre of drug cartels and the low-grade produce and violence which these criminals deal in equal measures.

Whichever way you slice it, there is no doubt that Uruguay will be under the spotlight in coming months: Whether it will prove to be a cautionary tale or a runaway success is anyone’s guess, but for now, many are hopeful that by changing a few laws, a safer, more tolerant world could be forged for everyone: In this respect, it seems, Uruguay could be setting an example for other countries to follow.

Disclaimer

The views and information contained in this post are presented for entertainment and educational purposes only: We do not endorse any illegal activities and urge you to obey the laws of the country which you are resident in.