The legalize marijuana debate is not what I’m here to talk about. A few years ago when I was in college, it was all anybody wanted to debate. Legalize it or not. Yes, there are plenty of arguments for both sides. But it’s an old topic now and bigger issues are finally being talked about.

It has been over a year since Uruguay passed a bill to legalize the cultivation and sale of cannabis—opening the doors to a legalized market. In Chile, the government is growing marijuana for medical research. The US war on drugs campaign in Latin America is losing credibility as marijuana becomes legal in US states.

So, since legalizing marijuana is becoming common, what I want to know is how farmers are faring.

More precisely, what impact is marijuana having on the livelihood of farmers? A closer look at what’s going on in Uruguay can help in better understanding this.

Uruguay is a pioneer in legalizing marijuana. Currently, Uruguay is the only country where selling, consuming, cultivating, and transport (within the country) is legal. Former Uruguayan president José Mujica’s reasoning was that legalizing the growth and eventual sale of marijuana (distribution in pharmacies by the end of 2015), would drive marijuana growth out of the hands of the cartels—decreasing crime and violence in the process.

Pharmacy in Uruguay
Image: Flickr: Rubem Porto Jr.

However, creating the infrastructure for a legal marijuana market is harder than expected.

Although selling marijuana is legal, the infrastructure that can make it feasible still has a long way to go. This makes right now an interesting time for farmers growing cannabis.

Getting the infrastructure set up to sell marijuana is a complicated process, and Uruguay is not in a rush. Former president Mujica said, "If we want to do this sloppily, it is not hard to do that; that's what the United States is doing. But if we want to get this right...we are going to have to do it slowly.” (A little harsh, but I agree that the US is all over the place on marijuana laws and legal distribution).

Why is it taking so long?

The IRCCA (Instituto de Regulación y Control del Cannabis) is the section of the government in Uruguay that permits citizens to buy marijuana, and pharmacies and clubs to sell it. However, the IRCCA is underfunded and short-staffed, making it a slow-moving bureaucracy. Pharmacies are expected to start distribution by the end of this year, but this date has been moved several times.

The country is setting clear and strict standards to guide who can sell and distribute marijuana and quantities. But not all police and residents are clear on what is and isn’t legal.

Image: Flickr: US Embassy Montevideo

This confusion makes growing cannabis a challenge for farmers. Neighbors report what they think is illegal activity and many police are unaware of current laws, meaning farmers still get penalized thus getting fined or having their crops taken in some cases. Plus, forty-seven percent of Uruguayans believe police are corrupt or extremely corrupt.    

Police are not the only group farmers worry about—the cartel is still heavily involved in marijuana distribution and transport. Illegal sellers tend to offer harder drugs like cocaine as an incentive to keep clientele. Mujica did not take on an easy task when he implemented policies intended to push out drug cartels.

However, I think Uruguay will succeed in decreasing crime and creating a legalized marijuana market. Uruguay has a strong economy and farmers there have more opportunity than their peers in other Latin American countries. Farmers growing marijuana in Uruguay are more protected than in countries where marijuana is illegal. Still, there are three things that can be done to help farmers in Uruguay and other countries in Latin America (where selling marijuana is illegal).

Done correctly, cycles of poverty in Latin America can be broken.

Growing formerly illegal substances is not easy. Further, in other Latin American countries like Peru, growing substances like marijuana or coca is often done not by choice.

Even still, there are changes that can help farmers out of the cycle of poverty. I believe investing in these three things can improve the lives of farmers everywhere.

Infrastructure—without access to roads or markets, farmers have little opportunity to sell crops. Drug traffickers come to farmers and provide ways to sell their crops. This is hard to pass up if other options don’t exist. Building infrastructure in rural areas in Latin America is a big and expensive task, but it is one that would have huge benefits for farmers. With infrastructure in place, farmers that previously had few other options can choose to grow and sell their own crops in markets.

Education—whether countries legalize marijuana or not, efforts need to be made to support the security, safety and livelihoods of farmers. Agricultural education is so important for farmers. Farmers should be empowered to choose the crop they want to grow, and not feel forced to grow a certain crop.

Keep soil nutritious!—this is really related to lack of education, too. When farmers are  uneducated, they are often unaware of the effect certain crops have on land. Lack of good soil due to overplanting of a single crop is one reason why farmers grow illegal substances. Crops like coca or marijuana don’t need the same conditions to grow as fresh produce. With better education and infrastructure, farmers can maintain better soil.

Image: Flickr: World Bank


What’s the future of growing marijuana in Latin America? Fair-trade marijuana,could this be a thing? I think it can be. If countries are going to legalize marijuana, asking for human rights and fair-trade practices should be included.

As laws change regarding marijuana, policies that protect farmers need to be put into place as well. Government and police should fully understand laws and not persecute farmers in poverty for growing marijuana. Infrastructure and education are needed in both countries where marijuana is legal and illegal to keep farmers out of poverty.

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

When growing marijuana is legal only on paper

By Meghan Werft