Uruguayan lawmakers vote the bill legalizing marijuana, in Montevideo, on July 31, 2013. (MIGUEL ROJO/AFP/Getty Images)
After 13 hours of intense debate, Uruguay’s House of Representatives passed a controversial marijuana legalization bill on Thursday that, if approved by the Senate, would make the small Latin American nation the first in the world to create a legal, state-regulated marijuana market.
The measure, hard-fought for by the government of President Jose Mujica, would be a groundbreaking departure from established drug policy in the region. While the possession of marijuana for personal use is currently legal in Uruguay, the new law would also allow the state to assume full control over the production, distribution, and sale of the drug which, according to the bill’s supporters, would give law enforcement room to focus on harder drugs and crime, while simultaneously undercutting cartels.
Other Latin American countries are also beginning to consider drug policy reform, with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina voicing support for new approaches to the problem of drug trafficking, which has contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands throughout the region.
This shift is sparking some concern in the international community. The United Nations’ narcotics body immediately issued a statement after the bill was passed warning of its “serious consequences” and reminding the government that it would “be in complete contravention to the provisions of the international drug treaties to which [it] is party.” However, the taboo against legalization among U.S.-allied governments in the region appears to be gradually fading, as reform efforts gain steam in places like Mexico City.
Though the legalization bill is expected to pass Uruguay’s Senate, which has a larger majority of lawmakers from Mujica’s Broad Front ruling coalition, opposition politicians are already vowing to launch a petition to overturn the law. It appears they would have public opinion behind them as well: a recent survey showed that 63% of citizens do not support the measure. There are also concerns that its implementation would turn the country into a drug tourism destination — something the bill’s sponsors have been quick to contest.
Uruguay has an established history of passing liberal legislation, but recent initiatives, including the legalization of same-sex marriage, have put it at the vanguard of progressive reform in Latin America, something Mujica was keen to emphasize on Thursday: “We know we are embarking on a cutting edge experiment for the whole world.” Indeed, the global repercussions of the success of this bill will be significant, posing a major challenge to the international drug war. Should Uruguay succeed in its effort, it would become a policy model for other countries — a fact that makes the attempt worth its inherent risks.
