Thinking the unthinkable

RECENTLY Latin American leaders have begun to rebel against rigid drug prohibition and the decades-long “war” on drugs. So when Uruguay's government this month released a document suggesting it would legalise and take control of the sale of cannabis in the country, this seemingly bold step attracted much media attention. Not so fast: the proposal amounts to one line in a 20-page report on the government's strategy for tackling rising crime. And the details have not been hammered out even among members of President José Mujica's cabinet, let alone in the country's Congress. Nevertheless, something is stirring in Uruguay.

The National Drugs Board, which advises the president, favours a plan under which production of cannabis would be a state monopoly. The defence minister said he thought private companies should do the job, under government supervision. Mr Mujica announced that the state would distribute the drug in doses of no more than 30 grams a month, and track customers in a government register. Users would have to present the butts of their smoked cigarettes before receiving new stocks. No, such a database would be too authoritarian, said the defence minister.