81. In 2014, which country became the first in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume cannabis?
From Quiz They Call It 420
Answer:
Uruguay
Prior to Uruguay's legalisation, the laws were a bit of a muddle as cultivation and supply were illegal, but consumption was not. The reason for the change was brought about by 66-year-old Alicia Castilla, known as the "Reefer Grandmother", who in 2011 was met at her home by 14 armed police officers, and arrested for the cultivation of cannabis. She insisted that the cultivation was for her personal use, not for supply, and as news of her arrest spread, along with the news that she faced up to ten years behind bars, so the protests grew throughout the country.
The cultivation of cannabis was finally legalised in 2014 and by July 2015, the laws were in full effect, with every citizen allowed to grow up to six plants once they had an easily available permit from the government.
Cannabis strains are limited and capped by the government and all legally available cannabis is not permitted to exceed a concentration of more than 9% THC. The demand continues to grow, with figures from 2019, just five years after legalisation, showing there were 36,487 registered recreational cannabis customers in the country.
The use of cannabis for recreational purposes became legal across Canada on 17 October 2018, making it the second country to legalise the herb.
Contrary to popular belief, cannabis use is not legal in Netherlands, merely tolerated in specialist coffee shops while possession of up to 5 g is decriminalized, not legalised.