Uruguay’s House of Representatives have approved a bill to legalize marijuana, setting the country on a path to become the world’s first country to legalize recreational use of the drug.
The bill, which was approved by 50 members of the 96-member lower house, must be approved by the Senate before becoming law, reports the BBC.
President Jose Mujica has endorsed the bill, saying it will take profits from drug dealers and deter drug-users from using harder and more detrimental substances.
“No one should think implementing this law would create disorder or encourage consumption,” said Mr. Mujica, according to the Globe and Mail. “Nowhere in the world has repression yielded results. We know we are embarking on a cutting edge experiment for the whole world.”
Mr. Mujica, a 78-year-old Catholic, also said he had never smoked marijuana, the use of which has doubled in Uruguay in the past ten years.
“The regulation is not meant to promote consumption,” argued Representative Sebastian Sabini, AFP reports. “Consumption already exists.”
Mr. Mujica’s liberal party, which has a narrow majority in the House, supports the bill while all opposition parties oppose it.
The President has previously made headlines for donating 90% of his salary to charity, the Huffington Post reported last year.
Image: WikiCommons
