March 2, 2014

By William Engdahl

This year, Uruguay, after a vote by the Parliament became the first country in the world to legalize the cultivation, sale and consumption of marijuana. Cannabis users can buy a maximum of 40 grams per month, provided they are Uruguayan citizens of at least 18 years old and registered in a public database. Their consumption is monitored by means of the quantity they buy per month in specially licensed pharmacies. Less well known is what the seed and genetic engineering giant Monsanto is doing to develop patented cannabis plants, and what has been the role of billionaire speculator George Soros.

Citizens of Uruguay may in the future every year grow six marijuana plants in their garden or in their home. These plants yield approximately 480 grams. They can also become a member of clubs, which may grow up to 99 plants per year. The step of the President goes back to the billionaire speculator George Soros. Less is known that Monsanto is already quietly at work to patent a genetically modified cannabis plant in Uruguay.

The role of George Soros

The U.S. billionaire speculator George Soros and the non-governmental organization whose board he belongs to, have played a pivotal role in that marijuana has been legalized in Uruguay. Apparently it’s part of a much larger global project. Soros sits on the board of the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance [DPA Drug Policy Alliance], the world’s most influential organization for legalization. His Open Society Foundation is listed as a major financial supporter. In the most recent Annual Report of 2013, the chairman of the Drug Policy Alliance boasted : “In Uruguay we played a crucial role, as we helped a public education campaign to coordinate. There was a close collaboration with government officials, activists, journalists and others, including President José Mujica whom I met with personally. ”

In fact, the President had privately in New York met with Soros, just before he was able to win the Senate for approval of the legalization law proposed by him. Soros and the DPA are active in Uruguay and other Latin American countries.

His Open Society invested $ 34 million last year,, of which nearly 3.5 million for the legalization of marijuana. In Uruguay, they funded the organization Regulación Responsable or “Responsible Control” that advertised with a nationwide campaign on television. Needless to say they were successfull.

Soros is also an important shareholder of Monsanto, the world’s largest producer of genetically modified seeds. And here it gets interesting.

Monsanto and Gencannabis?

Studies show that Monsanto without much fanfare conducts research projects on the active ingredient in marijuana, namely THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), in order to genetically manipulate the plant. David Watson of the Dutch company Hortapharm has since 1990 created the world’s largest collection of Cannabis seed varieties. In 1998, the British firm GW Pharmaceuticals signed an agreement with Hortapharm that gives GW Pharma the rights to use the Hortapharm cannabis for their research.

In 2003 the German Bayer AG then signed an agreement with GW Pharmaceuticals for joint research on a cannabis-based extract. In 2007, Bayer AG agreed to an exchange of technology with … Monsanto, both according to exchange the results of their research. Thus Monsanto has discreet access to the work of the cannabis plant and its genetic modification. In 2009 GW Pharmaceuticals announced that it had succeeded in genetically altering a cannabis plant and patented a new breed of cannabis .

Since the cultivation of cannabis plants in Uruguay is allowed, one can easily imagine that Monsanto sees a huge new market that the Group is able to control just with patented cannabis seeds such as today is happening on the market for soybeans. Uruguay’s President Mujica has made it clear he wants a unique genetic code for cannabis in his country in order to “keep the black market under control.”

Genetically modified cannabis seeds from Monsanto would grant such control. For decades Monsanto has been growing gene-soybean and GM maize in Uruguay too. George Soros is co-owner of agribusinesses Adecoagro, that planted genetically modified soybeans and sunflowers for biofuel.

Apparently for the powerful interests behind the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay it is about far more than they let us know.

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