Possession of cannabis for personal use Decriminalized by the Supreme Court of Brazil

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday decriminalized the possession of marijuana for personal use, a move that will reduce the country’s massive prison population.

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

The justices will determine Wednesday the maximum amount of marijuana that can be characterized as for personal use and when the ruling will take effect.

All judges who voted in favor of the decision said drug sales will remain illegal.

In 2006, Brazil’s Congress passed a law aimed at punishing individuals caught carrying small amounts of drugs, including marijuana, with alternative punishments, such as community service.

As in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico, the medicinal use of cannabis in Brazil is severely restricted.

Uruguay has fully legalized the use of marijuana, and in some US states recreational use of marijuana for adults is legal. Possession has been decriminalized in Colombia for ten years. Colombians are allowed to carry small amounts of marijuana, but selling it for recreational purposes is not legal. The same applies to the state in Ecuador and Peru.

Uruguay became the first country to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2013, although this was not introduced until 2017. In Uruguay, marijuana production and distribution is under state control and registered users can purchase up to 40 grams of marijuana per month through pharmacies.