Could 2015 be the year of international cannabis legalization? As you might know already, it’s been one year since President Jose Mujica signed a law which made Uruguay the world first country to legalize cannabis with a nationalized market for cultivation, sale and consumption. This event marked a significant progress on the image of cannabis use in the world.
United States followed the example of Uruguay with the legalization of recreational cannabis use in the states of Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C. Netherland already allows the famous coffee shops to sell cannabis, its citizens can possess up to 5 grams for personal use and cultivate few plants.
In Spain, the government accepted the creation of “cannabis clubs” where people can grow and smoke weed legally but it’s still forbidden to sell it. More recently, Switzerland is considering growing and selling marijuana as legal, a year after having decriminalized possessing weed.
The countries which already decriminalized marijuana and have the least restrictive laws are the best futures candidates to the legalization. According to the first ever global study of illicit drug use, published in August 2013 by the Lancet journal, marijuana is the most popularly used illegal drug worldwide.
With the success of medical marijuana and several serious medical studies which has proven the benefits of therapeutically cannabis use on several cancers and other diseases, the rest of the world should follow the movement and create in turn their legal cannabis market. By taking this approach one step further and creating a regulated, legal marketplace, these governments hopes to stem the illicit sale of cannabis. Legalization appears nowadays as the best weapon to win the war against the black market.
Although at the moment only few countries have officially legalized cannabis, however the change is coming and many other countries should follow the same path in a near future. History is being written! Will 2015 be the year of the international legalization of marijuana?
We recommend you to see the documentary “Evergreen: The Road To Legalization in Washington” (2013), A documentary on how Washington State legalized recreational marijuana and the effects of this decision on the state, the nation and the world.
