Uruguay has announced plans to allow state-controlled sales of marijuana(Cannabis plant) to fight a rise in drug-related crime. Under the proposed legislation, only the government will be allowed to sell marijuana to adults registered on a database. Defence Minister Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro said this was part of a plan to remove profits from drug dealers and divert users from harder drugs. He said that the recent increase in murder rates was a clear symptom of a rise in drug trafficking crimes.