In its newly released annual report, the UN International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) on March 4 took aim at legalization initiatives in Colorado and Washington states, urging the US federal government to ensure that anti-drug treaties are "fully implemented on the entirety of its territory." INCB president Raymond Yans said the Colorado and Washington laws "contravene the provisions of the drug control conventions, which limit the use of cannabis to medical and scientific use only." Also singling out the new legalization policy in Uruguay, he added that such initiatives pose "a very grave danger to public health and wellbeing." (BBC News, The Guardian, March 4)
Uruguay's President José Mujica was unbowed, quickly responding: "The United Nations are very old-school trying to yank on our ear about this." Implicitly referencing George W. Bush's Iraq adventure, he said with a touch of sarcasm: "Well, we will be paying them just about as much attention as the Great Powers do when they make decisions regularly" against UN policy. He pledged: "We are going to win this one, by showing the road to reform." (AFP, March 5)
Cross-post to High Times
Comments
Getting high with the president of Uruguay
Hats off to VICE for their new documentary short investigating the Uruguay marijuana initiative. There can't be a better way to start a video than with the line "I'm smoking weed with the president of Uruguay on his farm outside of Montevideo," as the video pans to President José "Pepe" Mujica actually sitting right next to VICE correspondent Krishna Andavolu smoking a joint.
The video is online at High Times...