Uruguayan President Jose Mujica wants to legalize marijuana in the country over which he presides, but really, he just wants to spread the love.
In a recent CNN en Espanol interview, the South American President was asked if legal weed would act as a gateway drug, leading users to find harder drugs. Mujica replied that he did not consider marijuana as such.
"It's actually the opposite," he told the press. "People seek crack and other more dangerous poisons when they have no access to marijuana."
He made clear, though, that he wasn't advocating the use of weed.
"Do not think that I am defending marijuana," he said. "I declare that love is the only healthy addiction on the face of the Earth. All the other addictions are a plague, whose harm has varying degrees."
On July 31, a bill to legalize the production, sale and consumption of cannabis made it through the country's lower house of congress. Once past the Senate, where the legislation is slated to move with approval, President Mujica must either reject or sign. He has openly supported the proposal, the Economist reported.
Legalizing marijuana in Uruguay would authorize citizens to cultivate and sell up to six weed plants per home. People would also be allowed to grow up to 99 plants in marijuana cooperatives-private entities can sell their crops to the government. Pharmacies will then sell marijuana publicly, where Uruguayans can purchase anywhere up to 30 grams, (or 1 ounce) every month. The legislation restricts tourists from buying up, though.
Mujica stressed the importance of keeping tabs on the smokers, after a journalist asked if allowing every Uruguayan citizen to purchase 30 joints every month was excessive.
"It's 30 grams," Mujica replied. "And the advantage of [Uruguay's legalization policy] is that we can identify who is consuming. If we identify customers, we can help them. If we criminalize them and keep them underground, we steer them towards drug dealers and wash our hands of responsibility."
Mujica claimed the United States should fall back on the war on drugs to "give a hand" to countries like Uruguay, where certain drugs are in the midst of being legalized. But he still acknowledged the fact that making weed accessible to the general public will come with a whole host of issues, and said he is open to augmenting the bill if problems get out of hand.
"If reality shows us that we have made a mistake, we will change course," he said. "We're not just trying to satisfy some sort of selfish impulse here."
Colorado and Washington are among states in America that have recently decriminalized weed.
