Drug Laws in South America

Laws on possessing marijuana for personal use in South America:

ARGENTINA: No jail or fine for possession; users usually must undergo court-supervised rehabilitation.

BOLIVIA: Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize.

BRAZIL: Possession illegal. Attorney general proposes to end jail and fines, substituting mandatory rehabilitation for users.

CHILE: Possession illegal. Weak support for decriminalizing, but no formal proposal to change law.

COLOMBIA: Possession of small quantities of all drugs legal; permitted ``personal dose'' for marijuana is 20 grams.

ECUADOR: Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize.

PARAGUAY: Possession illegal. No move to decriminalize.

PERU: Possession of small amounts legal; judges decide what constitutes ``personal'' amount.

URUGUAY: Possession for personal use not penalized; law does not specify quantity for ``personal'' amount.

VENEZUELA: Possession of up to 20 grams not punished; users must go through drug treatment program.