MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – Uruguay's drug czar says more than 100 businesses have expressed interest in bidding for no more than six licenses to grow the government's marijuana.
Drug secretary Julio Calzada told The Associated Press Thursday that successful bidders will have to identify everyone involved in the business and the source of their investment. He says these controls are necessary to make sure licenses don't go to organized crime figures.
Calzada said everyone is worried that illegal Paraguayan pot growers will get government protection in Uruguay.
Days earlier, President Jose Mujica says he too is worried that drug traffickers will try to influence the campaigns to choose his successor in October. He told the AP last week that Uruguay is taking on well-financed adversaries who can easily spend money to sway elections.
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