[CHAMBER] Bill to Legalise Cannabis

[Smyg]

Bill to Legalise Cannabis

Whereas the current economic situation in Brazil and the world is cause for great concern, prompting an immediate need for increasing state revenue via taxation to allow the Republic of the United States of Brazil to successfully manage any potential crisis,

Whereas there is also an immediate need to curb the growth of urban and rural organised crime across Brazil, especially in regards to street gangs in the favelas,

Whereas Brazil is currently the world's largest producer of the stimulant yerba mate (a herb which during the Paraguayan War found extensive usage by soldiers, to calm the hunger and the combat anxiety) especially due to extensive plantations in Mato Grosso do Sul, which bring in significant profits,

Whereas the plant known as Cannabis sativa (and its various subspecies) has an ancient history in Brazil, estimated to have been introduced in the 16th century either by Portuguese settlers bringing it from Goa or by African slaves from Angola, and regardless of its origin found extensive cultivation especially on the sugar plantations of north-eastern Brazil, allowed by the slavers due to the slaves handling the heat and fieldwork better by consuming it, and due to the widespread usage of Cannabis-based tea to relieve conditions such as rheumatism, colic, arthritis, toothaches, sleep disorders, etc.

Whereas the usage of Cannabis was widely accepted by the ruling class of Brazil in the early 19th century for medical purposes, prominently by Doña Carlota Joaquina, wife of Emperor João VI of Brazil, but despite this soon after found extensive persecution due to its usage by the oppressed Afro-Brazilian slave population, starting with the Municipal Council of Rio de Janeiro which in 1830 prohibited bringing Cannabis into the city, and strictly punishing its use by any slave,

Whereas slavery was abolished across Brazil in 1888, and all other legal measures intended solely to punish and restrict the Afro-Brazilian populace, such as laws regarding corporal punishment of Afro-Brazilian sailors and the ban on the Afro-Brazilian martial arts Capoeira, are currently being abolished as well,

Whereas the Republic of the United States of Brazil is a signatory of the 1925 League of Nations International Convention relating to Dangerous Drugs, defined here,

Whereas the aforementioned 1925 convention initially was proposed to include a full prohibition of the usage of "Indian hemp", but after significant debate it was found that such a prohibition was not advisable due to the extensive usage of said substance in religious/cultural customs and medical practices,

Whereas instead the sole provisions of the aforementioned 1925 convention regarding "Indian hemp" banned exportation of said substance to countries that have prohibited its use, and requiring importing countries to issue certificates approving the importation and stating that said shipment was required "exclusively for medical or scientific purposes", allowing for the domestic production, internal trade, and use of cannabis for recreational, cultural/religious and medical purposes,

• Section 1. All current laws prohibiting the purely domestic production and usage of Cannabis sativa within the Republic of the United States of Brazil will be fully abolished, or amended when relevant. All restrictions regarding the international trafficking of said plant and products made from it shall however remain in place, and strictly enforced. All production and all commercial exchange of Cannabis shall be extensively taxed to increase state revenues, and shall take place with state oversight.

• Section 2. The Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, the Federal Department of Public Security and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rio de Janeiro shall form a joint Federal Narcotics Commission, to oversee the production, sale and taxation of Cannabis across Brazil, to fully persecute the domestic production and sale of illegal narcotics, to better suppress the international trafficking of narcotics in accordance with international conventions, to set up treatment and risk awareness programmes when relevant, and to in general regulate all matters concerning Cannabis domestically, such as the possible application of legal sales age limits and other details. In short, all specifics.

• Section 3. All Brazilian citizens sentenced for the possession of Cannabis shall receive full amnesties for said crimes.

• Section 4. This bill shall enter into effect 31 (thirty-one) days after passage.

[Luc]

Sebastião do Rego Barros, President of the Chamber of Deputies

If there are no members of the house willing to debate this proposal, I will table it.

[Smyg]

Sebastião do Rego Barros, President of the Chamber of Deputies

If there are no members of the house willing to debate this proposal, I will table it.

Clearly, no one has any arguments against our will to---

--- sorry, Mr. President, I see that it is almost 4:20 PM. I must go, Your Excellency. Got an appointment.

[Smyg]

Either debate it, or open a vote, sirs.

[Flamelord]

The Federal Union Party finds itself in opposition to this bill. We question how much tax revenue would be generated by legalization in the first place, and also find that the detrimental effects proposed would outweight the supposed benefits that this would provide. A Narcotics Commission would be welcome, but it is our concern that this legalization would lead to the moral degradation of Brazilian society, by condoning the usage of this substance and inviting further legalization of other drugs which are also harmful.

As such we cannot support it at this time.

[Smyg]

The Federal Union Party finds itself in opposition to this bill. We question how much tax revenue would be generated by legalization in the first place, and also find that the detrimental effects proposed would outweight the supposed benefits that this would provide. A Narcotics Commission would be welcome, but it is our concern that this legalization would lead to the moral degradation of Brazilian society, by condoning the usage of this substance and inviting further legalization of other drugs which are also harmful.

As such we cannot support it at this time.

Is it the official viewpoint of the PUF that traditional Afro-Brazilian culture is immoral, then?

[Flamelord]

Is it the official viewpoint of the PUF that traditional Afro-Brazilian culture is immoral, then?

It is the official viewpoint of the Federal Union Party that there are cases where the traditional tenets of society must bend to the continued good of the people. There are many societies where ritual sacrifice was routinely practiced, yet you do not see anyone clamoring for the erection of blood altars in Rio, do you?

[Flaming Bolshevik]

The AIB stands in staunch opposition to the use, sale and legalization of any substance that would allow for escapism and lazyness to take root in the Brazilian people.

[Westar]

Perhaps Honourable Mr. Pereira has partaken in the usage before attending Congress?

[Luc]

Sebastião do Rego Barros, President of the Chamber of Deputies

I would urge all delegates to continue debating this law project or call a vote on it, please.

[Snacks]

The BLOC admittedly sees little harm that would be made by this bill, though given the strong opposition, perhaps we could suggest to our colleagues in the Communist Party that an alternative course of action: perhaps a commission apart from the proposed Narcotics commission to investigate innovation in Brazilian agriculture via the promotion of currently niche or exotic crops, including the potential benefits to Brazil by once again establishing a legal industry for hemp and cannabis. We do not think that the improvement of Brazilian agriculture could be seen as a bad outcome by anyone here, and we think that our Communist comrades would find the proposal for such an Federal Crop Innovation Commission would be more likely to... bear fruit?

[Smyg]

The BLOC admittedly sees little harm that would be made by this bill, though given the strong opposition, perhaps we could suggest to our colleagues in the Communist Party that an alternative course of action: perhaps a commission apart from the proposed Narcotics commission to investigate innovation in Brazilian agriculture via the promotion of currently niche or exotic crops, including the potential benefits to Brazil by once again establishing a legal industry for hemp and cannabis. We do not think that the improvement of Brazilian agriculture could be seen as a bad outcome by anyone here, and we think that our Communist comrades would find the proposal for such an Federal Crop Innovation Commission would be more likely to... bear fruit?

Feel free to propose a counter-bill, sir.

[TRC]

The PLD would fully support this bill it it comes to a vote

[Luc]

Sebastião do Rego Barros, President of the Chamber of Deputies

If there is no more debate to be had on this bill, or any counter-proposal to be put forth, I would encourage this house to move into voting procedures.

[Flaming Bolshevik]

AIB (3) votes no.