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The country’s Supreme Court voted to remove criminal penalties for possession of up to 40 grams of marijuana.
By Jack Nicas and Ana Ionova
Report from Rio de Janeiro
Brazil decriminalized marijuana for private use on Wednesday, making the country of 203 million people the largest country to take that step and the latest sign of the drug’s growing global acceptance.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has ruled that Brazilians can possess up to 40 grams of hashish – roughly the equivalent of 80 joints – without incurring penalties, a ruling that would come into force in a few days and remain in force for the next 18 months.
The court asked the Brazilian Congress and the health government to set the permanent amount of marijuana that citizens can possess. The sale of marijuana is still a criminal offense.
Thousands of Brazilians are serving criminal sentences for possessing less marijuana than the new threshold, legal analysts said. It’s unclear how the ruling would affect those convictions.
Many are black men, who account for 61 percent of drug prosecutions but make up 27 percent of the population. Studies have shown that thousands of black Brazilians have been convicted of crimes that have resulted in fewer or no charges than whites.
Brazil has long followed a harsh and dishonest approach to drugs. Its decision to allow its citizens to smoke marijuana is part of a notable shift in public opinion and public policy related to the drug over the past two decades. More than 20 countries have distorted or legalized the recreational use of marijuana, the highest in Europe and America.
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