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Uruguay has become the first country in the world to legalise [the / a] marijuana trade, from the drug’s [production / producing] to its distribution. This means it is the only nation where the government has [totally / total] control of the commercialisation of marijuana - also [knowing / known] as cannabis. Uruguay's President Jose Mujica said his goal is to [trial / try] and disrupt the activities of drug [traffickers / traffics] and possibly put them out of [business / businesses] altogether. He hopes that his legalisation, together with the [closely / close] monitoring of marijuana sales by the state, will reduce [dependence / independence] on the drug and drug-related crime. Mr Mujica said he was well aware that the new legislation was "an experiment," which had no [warranty / guarantee] of being successful.

The legalisation has fallen [foul / fouled] of an international treaty on drug control. Uruguay is a [signature / signatory] to the 1961 Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The Convention [limits / limitations] the use of cannabis "to medical and [scientific / scientifically] purposes". The president of the International Narcotics Control [Board / Plank] , Raymond Yans, said he was "surprised" that Uruguay had "knowingly decided to [breech / break] the universally agreed and internationally [dorsal / endorsed] legal provisions of the treaty". He warned the move could [backfire / fire back] , saying: "It will not protect young people, but rather have the [pervert / perverse] effect of encouraging early experimentation, lowering the age of first use, and thus contributing to…earlier onset of addiction and other [disorders / orders] ."