Uruguay May Have Started a Marijuana Legalization Storm in Latin America Roberto A. Ferdman - Quartz
go to original December 31, 2013

All that potential tax revenue, up in flames. (Reuters/Jorge Duenes)

It’s barely been a month since Uruguay moved to legalize marijuana, and yet the effects of the decision are already being felt well outside of its borders.

Neighboring Argentina, a long-time proponent of keeping marijuana illegal, gave its first indication that Uruguay’s pivot has tempted it to at least consider legalizing the drug. The recently appointed head of Argentina’s counter-narcotics agency, Juan Carlos Molina, admitted as much in a recent radio interview (link in Spanish). “Argentina deserves a good debate about this. We have the capacity to do it. We shouldn’t underestimate ourselves,” he said.

There are signs that Mexico is pondering legalization too. Earlier this fall, shortly after Uruguay’s lower house approved a bill to legalize marijuana, Mexico City’s council proposed legislation that would create a system of marijuana growing co-operatives, which would let people grow pot, but also allow the government to oversee its production and consumption. Possession of small amounts of marijuana has already been decriminalized in Mexico, but the often violent drug trade persists. If Uruguay’s experiment pans out, Mexico, which suffers from some of the highest homicide rates in the world thanks in large part to its dangerous drug cartels, would certainly be tempted to follow in its footsteps.

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