It looks like Uruguay is about to blaze an innovative, new path in cannabis policy by legalizing state-controlled marijuana. From the BBC:
21 June 2012
Uruguay government aims to legalise marijuana
Uruguay has unveiled a plan to allow state-controlled sales of marijuana to fight a rise in drug-related crime.
Under the bill, only the government would be allowed to sell marijuana to adults registered on a database.
Defence Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said this was part of a plan to remove profits from drug dealers and divert users from harder drugs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
I'm not sure that having the govt. grow the marijuana will have the best results, but it will definitely put a dent in the profits of organized crime and could have other benefits, such as increased, legal research into the medicinal qualities of the cannabis plant.
It could also become a trigger for other Latin American governments to institute more sensible marijuana policies, which would, in turn, put more pressure on the U.S. to institute a more sensible, federal cannabis policy.
BBC regional correspondent Vladimir Hernandez says the move is seen as groundbreaking in South America.
Several Central American leaders - including the presidents of Guatemala and Costa Rica - have spoken of the need to consider decriminalising some drugs in an attempt to undermine cartels.
In the best case scenario, this might just be the beginning of the end of insanely stupid, restrictive cannabis policies in Latin America.