Brazil to decriminalize drug use and institute a harm-reduction model -[UNCONFIRMED]

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Bluelighter
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Brazil to decriminalize drug use and institute a harm-reduction model

Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio "Lula" da Silva has announced that he will finally sign drug-decriminalization and harm-reduction measures into law next week.

”Lula is expected to sign an executive decree on November 24,” writes Narco News publisher Al Giordano, “taking drug enforcement responsibilities away from police agencies, and placing the problems of drug use under the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry, which will be charged with supporting the safe drug-use centers and make Harm Reduction… the law of the land.”

The Brazilian Embassy in Washington, DC confirmed the impending decriminalization and harm-reduction measures earlier today to the Alliance.

This welcome change comes on the heels of the country’s recent adoption of a policy to shoot down airplanes suspected of trafficking drugs. There was no word from the embassy how the harm reduction policies might impact the shootdown policy.
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Brazil Shoots Down Drug War
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/11_16_04brazil.cfm[/URL]
November 16, 2004

[edited for FP format]
 
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Just for the record, I am still looking for other authoritative news references to collaborate the story. At the same time, I have no reason to doubt DrugPolicy.org, but would like to see a mainstream news service carry the story before breaking out the Champaign.
 
Now will Brazil take an economic stance on drugs as well and profit from them? That'll be mighty impressive.

Hopefully USA won't invade Brazil, saying they have ties to al-Qaeda because weed is legal..
 
brazil could give two fucks about personal freedom, the point is economic, they look at afganistan and know if they sell all their product north they can get back in the hunt for lead narco-state
 
I agree with Morb, it is my understanding that the prisons of Sao Paulo are some of the worst found in the entire world. With prisoners rummaging through garbage to find enough to eat, civil liberties are not exactly top priority.

Decriminalization could bee a good thing for both the people and the government, especially if the government forms a monopoly on sales.

I'm sure the policy of shooting down planes will remain in effect. Some will get shot down while others will not, depending on whom they work for.
 
they aren`t decriminlizing selling are they, isn`t it just using? Still great but if I have misunderstood that would be really cool.
 
Are there any details anywhere on this yet?

Decrminalisation is a fairly loose term.

Does it simply mean you cannot be prosecuted for possession/sale of drugs through criminal courts, and instead you can only be prosecuted through the civil courts meaning penalties will be much less severe (fines, community service etc.) ????

Or does it mean anything goes, you can possess/sell drugs without being penalised at all?
 
Decriminalisation - You can't be prosecuted for possession in criminal courts because possession is a civil offence. You can still be prosecuted in a criminal court for dealing (because of stupid UN conventions).

Legalisation - No holes barred!
 
this is great! the only thing which bothers me though is that they shoot down planes SUSPECTED of trafficking... i think you all can see the problems there...
 
CYCOactive said:
With prisoners rummaging through garbage to find enough to eat, civil liberties are not exactly top priority.
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I do that here in the States, and I've never been in prison :\

Rather odd, as I just read a CNN story about Bush's push to renew anti-drug efforts in Brasil. I guess they'll be focusing only on supply-side from now on, certainly more humane at least.
 
this is amazing! i was in brazil about 2 years ago and i saw several news reports of police stings for marijuana. at the time they seemed very harsh on drugs and as a drug user i was quite intimidated. the police there are militarized and everything so you really dont want to get fucked with.

i remember people giving you hints on how to avoid arrest, like putting lotion on your hands after smoking a joint because they would arrest you if your fingers even smelled like weed.

anyway, now im looking forward to going back to brazil even more!
 
ace of spades said:
wow.. god bless brazil.. why the fuck cant we do that here in the states
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Because your economy will fall apart from the sudden loss of income it would suffer.
 
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