As cannabis gradually transitions from a cultural drug to just an agricultural product like any other, Paraguay's unique conditions make it a destination of choice for those trying to develop the newly-legalized business, according to a report carried by the Buenos Aires daily Perfil.
ICC Labs Inc., a subsidiary of Canada’s Aurora Cannabis Inc., opened Wednesday in Montevideo and became the subcontinent's first producer of cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals with a capacity “to supply almost the entire South American continent,” according to the company's CEO Alejandro Antalich.
Uruguayan authorities have revealed how marijuana will be produced and sold legally in the country following the approval of the bill last December. Licensed pharmacies will sell the drug for approximately one US dollar a gram with consumers allowed 40g a month.
A majority of Uruguayans (64%) are against the bill that legalizes growing and selling marihuana, but 51% are willing to wait and see if the system works before having it rejected, according to the latest public opinion poll released on Thursday. The bill was passed in parliament last December but only with the support from the ruling coalition.
Human life isn’t all bad, but it sometimes feels that way. Good news is no news: the headlines mostly tell of strife and bail-outs, failure and folly.
Uruguay's recent passing of a bill legalizing cannabis from production to distribution has generated headlines and controversy worldwide. The basics of the law is that current methods to combat drugs addiction and trade have failed completely and new options should be experimented.
The Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins writes on the controversy.