Is South African Cannabis Legalization The Canary in the Coal Mine For Marijuana Prohibition?

Is South African Cannabis Legalization The Canary in the Coal Mine For Marijuana Prohibition?

Over the past few years there has been a consistent rise in tolerance for cannabis related laws around the globe. With Cannabis spearheading the legalization movement in “modernized countries”, it was not the first country to actually legalize cannabis for adult use. That honor goes to Uruguay.

Since Colorado made world news in 2012 by legalizing the cannabis industry within their state borders (Washington did it at the same time), there has been an uptick in pro-cannabis policies all over the globe. One of the more recent additions comes from South Africa where the personal consumption and cultivation of cannabis has been legalized.

Essentially, you can now in South Africa grow a small number of cannabis plants in your home and consume cannabis without any legal penalty. Furthermore, if you are “busted” on the street for consumption, it will now be up to the police officer to decide whether the amount was for personal consumption or for dealing.

If you have a silver tongue like me, you’d probably be able to argue your way out of an arrest in South Africa even if you’re caught with a pound. Irrespective of the subjectivity of the law currently, this is great news for the South African nation.

Why?

Firstly, this ruling is a win for people who hold their privacy and sovereignty on high. A Government should never have the authority to tell you what you can and cannot put into your own body. This stance indicates that the government believes that you do not have full “ownership” over your own body or mind.

It suggests that you are a government asset that requires regulation. Considering that we all get a social security or identification number at birth, it’s not a far-fetched idea to think that the government treats us more like their “products” as opposed to “individuals who make up the nation”.

Secondly, it reduces the strain on the government to track and prosecute non-violent people who use cannabis either for recreational purposes or for medical reasons. Unlike Alcohol and other drugs, cannabis isn’t linked to violent crime. Alcohol on the other hand [according to F.B.I statistics], is linked to 40% of all violent crimes. Thus, steering police efforts away from cannabis is actually a step in the right direction to make society safer.

Finally, the reason why the move in South Africa is good for the world, or at least the continent, is that South Africa is one of the most developed nations within Africa. A lot of what happens in Africa is a result of South African economic and political policies.

This means that the spreading of cannabis legalization throughout the continent will only speed up over the next few years.

What is the world waiting for?

Some of you might be thinking, “With people going ‘APE’ over Cannabis, why isn’t it legal worldwide yet?”

Well, there are a couple of reasons however in my personal opinion…the world is waiting for the U.S to finally get rid of marijuana prohibition prior to moving forward with full-scale legalization. Like it or not, the United States is the official road block for a vast majority of countries that might be thinking of legalization.

With the United States being the biggest consumer nation in the world, many economies depend on whether or not the U.S buys their goods. Thus, the sheer amount of influence they have on foreign policy and their current invested interest in keeping the War on Drugs alive and well; many countries are waiting for the “go ahead” from the U.S before they would fully legalize cannabis within their borders.

Small policy shifts are occurring regardless. Often times the first wave of legalization undertakes a more medical approach. Thus is because it would be inhumane for the U.S to block an initiative that seeks to provide relief to people afflicted with debilitating conditions.

This is also paving the way for broader legalization all over the world despite potential objections from the principle player in maintaining the war on drugs.

How long till it’s legalized all over the world?

No one can say for sure how long it will take for the rest of the world to completely legalize marijuana. One thing is certain, once the United States ends marijuana prohibition within their own borders, it shouldn’t take too long for the rest of the nations to follow suit.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are plenty of countries currently working on models to transition into a new global economy which includes cannabis. Mexico is already starting to talk about a national cannabis infrastructure.

At this point in time, with these minor shifts in policy occurring all over the world, the inevitability of cannabis legalization is written in stone. Right now we’re just