Pubdate: Sun, 25 Aug 2013
Source: Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA)
Copyright: 2013 The Standard-Speaker
Contact:  http://www.standardspeaker.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1085
Authors: Peter Hakim and C Ameron Combs, Los Angeles Times
Page: C5

A MARIJUANA EXPERIMENT

The United States' take-no-prisoners (or, perhaps more aptly,
take-too-many-prisoners) approach to drug control has few fans in
Latin America, long the most violent battleground in the U.S. war on
drugs. Uruguay, the smallest country in the region, has been the
first, however, to openly rebel. It is expected soon to be the only
nation to legalize the cultivation, sale and use of marijuana on a
national scale.

President Obama has said on several occasions that "legalization is
not the answer." At an Organization of American States meeting this
year, White House drug czar R. Gil Kerlikowske rejected legalization
as a "bumper-sticker approach."

But there is not much the administration can do about Uruguay's move.
(In fact, it still has not formally announced what the federal
response is to Colorado and Washington state laws, passed in November,
legalizing marijuana for recreational use.) Indeed, the United States
should pay special attention to developments in Uruguay, which may
offer some important lessons for U.S. drug policy, at home and abroad.

Uruguay is a surprising trailblazer on the drug issue. Unlike much of
Latin America, this is a country with limited drug consumption and
little serious crime or violence. And despite the strong advocacy of
current President Jose Mujica for legalization, polls report that
nearly two-thirds of Uruguayans oppose it. So why, then, in a country
with such widespread opposition and a mere 120,000 habitual cannabis
users, is the government taking this groundbreaking step?

Mujica has championed legalization as a public security measure, a
response to the Uruguayans' deepening concerns. Yet it is hard to
believe this is the president's primary motive. After all, Uruguay's
crime rate is among the lowest in Latin America. Perhaps a better
explanation is Mujica's own leadership and commitment to building a
legacy of progressive accomplishments. In just one year, he has
ushered through the region's most liberal abortion law and legislation
recognizing same-sex marriage.

Uruguay's initiative is also a response to Latin America's deep
frustration with the United States' war on drugs. Although it is being
scaled back within the U.S., the drug war remains a central priority
of U.S. policy in the region - and in the eyes of Latin Americans,
bears a sizable share of the blame for surging rates of crime and
violence in Latin America.

The two central questions now become: First, will legalization, in
fact, lower crime rates, divert people from more dangerous substances
and reduce perceptions of insecurity? Or, as opponents claim, will it
end up having little impact on crime while encouraging drug use? And,
second, if Uruguay's efforts succeed, would marijuana legalization be
the right course for other nations?

The outcome of Uruguay's initiative is uncertain, and retreat may
ultimately be necessary. Indeed, even Mujica calls it an "experiment"
and publicly acknowledges that it may fail. Black markets may be
sustained by sales to juveniles and tourists - who would be forbidden
to purchase it legally - or by people who want or need more than the
government ration allows. Illegal sellers may even be able to offer
lower prices.

Also, by blunting any remaining cultural stigma and anxieties about
the health effects of marijuana, legalization could lead to an upturn
in use, although the limited research available suggests that this is
unlikely. But it is surely possible that Uruguay's legal cannabis may
find its way into neighboring Brazil and Argentina (as Colorado's will
to New Mexico and Wyoming). Finally, criminals may just write off the
lost profits from marijuana and turn to other illicit activities, such
as extortion and robbery, or ratchet up sales of more risk-laden drugs.

Marijuana legalization in Uruguay will hardly affect the bulk of the
hemisphere's drug trade. Uruguay is neither a major drug producer nor
a consequential trafficking corridor. And compared to Brazil or the
United States, its market for narcotics is next to nonexistent. But
Uruguay's courageous experiment may start a trend across Latin
America. Already, many countries are formally decriminalizing
marijuana or simply turning a blind eye to its use.

The experience of tiny Uruguay will have a big impact, no doubt, but
what happens in the United States will be especially critical to the
future of drug policy. California alone consumes an estimated 500 tons
of marijuana annually, compared to just 22 tons in all of Uruguay. But
more relevant than market size, the U.S. will find it increasingly
difficult to promote prohibition and strict enforcement in Latin
American and elsewhere when its own citizens are pioneering a new
course of toleration.
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MAP posted-by: Matt