Possession of Cannabis for Personal use Decriminalized by Brazil’s Supreme Court

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday decriminalized possession of marijuana for personal use. This move will reduce its massive prison population.

With final votes cast in the Brazil Supreme Court on Tuesday, a majority of the justices on the 11-member court voted in favor of decriminalization since deliberations began in 2015.

The justices are to determine on Wednesday the maximum quantity of marijuana that would be characterized as being for personal use and when the ruling will enter into effect.

All the justices who have voted in favor of the decision said that selling of drugs will remain illegal.

In 2006, Brazil’s Congress approved a law that sought to punish individuals caught carrying small amounts of drugs, including marijuana, with alternative penalties such as community service.

Like in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico, medicinal use of cannabis is allowed in Brazil in a highly restricted manner.

Uruguay has fully legalised the use of marijuana, and in some US states recreational use of marijuana for adults is legal. In Colombia, possession has been decriminalised for a decade. Colombians can carry small amounts of marijuana, but selling it for recreational purposes is not legal. Similar is the state in Ecuador and Peru.

Uruguay became the first country to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2013 although it was only implemented in 2017. In Uruguay, the production to distribution of marijuana is under state control and registered users can buy up to 40 grams of marijuana per month through pharmacies.