Brazil legalizes marijuana possession for personal use

On Tuesday, a majority of the 11-judge court voted in favor of legalizing personal marijuana possession for the first time since discussions began in 2015.

Brazil's Supreme Court. Photo: AP

The justices still have to determine the maximum amount of cannabis considered for personal use and when that ruling will take effect, which is expected to be completed as early as Wednesday.

The judges who voted in favor said the legalization would only apply to possession of marijuana in amounts appropriate for personal use. Selling the drug would still be illegal.

In 2006, Brazil’s Congress passed a law that would punish people caught with small amounts of marijuana with alternative punishments like community service. But the law was too vague and didn’t define a specific amount to help law enforcement and judges distinguish between personal use and drug trafficking.

“The majority of people detained before trial and convicted of drug trafficking in Brazil are first-time offenders, carrying small amounts of drugs, arrested in routine police operations, unarmed and without evidence of links to organized crime,” said Ilona Szabó, president of the Igarapé Institute.

Last year, a Brazilian court allowed some patients to grow cannabis for medical purposes. However, Brazil is one of the few countries in Latin America that has not legalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use.

Activists and legal scholars have long awaited the ruling, in a country with the world's third-largest prison population. Critics say users caught with small amounts of cannabis are often convicted of trafficking and locked up in overcrowded prisons.

Medical marijuana use is allowed in Brazil, but very limited. Uruguay has fully legalized marijuana use, and some US states allow recreational use for adults. In Colombia, possession is legal, but sales are still prohibited.

Cao Phong (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/brazil-hop-phap-hoa-viec-so-huu-can-sa-de-su-dung-ca-nhan-post300814.html