On Tuesday, Brazil’s Supreme Court moved toward decriminalizing marijuana possession for personal use.
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| Demonstrators hold banner that says, “Legalise now” during a march demanding the legalisation of marijuana in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photo: AP Photo/Andre Penner |
The move will make Brazil one of the last countries in Latin America to do so and could reduce its massive prison population.
According to apnews.com:
José Antonio Dias Toffoli said Tuesday that he is in favor of decriminalization, joining five other justices who voted that way since deliberations began in 2015. That establishes a majority on the 11-person court. The last two justices to vote must do so before the ruling is final, and they were expected to do so soon.
The justices must also determine the maximum quantity of marijuana that would be characterized as being for personal use and when the ruling will enter into effect. How long it will take them to do so remains unclear.
Justice Rosa Weber said in August that consideration of more than 7,700 similar cases before lower courts had been suspended in anticipation of a Supreme Court decision.
