Cannabis in Chile is illegal for all production and public consumption, though private at-home consumption is allowed, but is widely consumed, with the highest per-capita use in Latin America. Cannabis has a long history in Chile, possibly the longest in the New World, as hemp production for fiber was introduced in the Quillota Valley as early as , [2] to support the army and shipping. In the s, cannabis was used by American sailors in the brothels of the port towns of Antofagasta and Tocopilla.
According to the Dictionary of Chilean Slang , terms used for cannabis in Chile include: marihuana, papelillo, volarse, cogoyo, paraguayo, and yerba. Only 6. Chile also has an earlier than average age of first cannabis usage, at age 12 compared to the global average of While Chile has some local production, a large amount of its cannabis is imported from neighbors, particularly Paraguay and Peru.
The current overarching drug law of Chile is the Ley de drogas. Further, in Chile toughened its cannabis trafficking laws, with punishments equivalent to those for cocaine and heroin, in reaction to the increasing consumption and presence of imported Paraguayan cannabis.
In , cultivators with government permission began planting cannabis in Chile, including a location in Santiago to produce oil for cancer patients. A Chilean organization holds annual protests each April 20th, since in support legalization of cannabis. In , a bill allowing Chileans to grow up to six plants per home for "medical, recreational or spiritual reasons" passed the lower house of Congress, 68β39, and next goes to the Chilean Senate for vote.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Use of Cannabis in Chile. This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
