Strategy changed

Brazil: possession of cannabis no longer a criminal offense

Cannabis has been partially decriminalized, but consumption in public places remains prohibited.(Bild: APA/AP)

The Brazilian government is changing its strategy in the fight against the "drug epidemic". In future, possession of small amounts of marijuana will no longer be a criminal offense, but merely an administrative offense.

This is the result of a ruling by the country's Supreme Court. In the coming days, the court will define the quantities up to which a personal need can still be assumed.

Court: "Under no circumstances are we legalizing drug use"
At the same time, court president Luís Roberto Barroso emphasized: "In no way are we legalizing drug use or saying that it is a good thing. Quite the opposite. We are simply considering how we can best combat this epidemic that exists in Brazil." Previous strategies have not worked, he said, because consumption and the power of the drug trade continue to grow. Barroso emphasized that cannabis is still an illegal substance and should not be consumed in a public place.

Relieving overcrowded prisons
The decriminalization of marijuana could relieve the completely overcrowded prisons in Brazil. Until now, people have often been imprisoned for being found with very small amounts of drugs. There are currently almost 840,000 people behind bars in the South American country. This makes Brazil, with a population of just under 210 million, the country with the most prisoners in the world after the USA and China.