Uruguay’s decision to legalize and regulate the production, sale, and consumption of Marijuana is winning fans and worrying neighbors.  For example, British magazine The Economist has chosen Uruguay as its “country of the year” not just for marijuana but for marriage equality, too.

“Gay marriage is one such border-crossing policy, which has increased the global sum of human happiness at no financial cost. Several countries have implemented it in 2013—including Uruguay, which also, uniquely, passed a law to legalise and regulate the production, sale and consumption of cannabis,” The Economist wrote.

“This is a change so obviously sensible, squeezing out the crooks and allowing the authorities to concentrate on graver crimes, that no other country has made it. If others followed suit, and other narcotics were included, the damage such drugs wreak on the world would be drastically reduced.”

The magazine congratulated Uruguay for “path breaking reforms” that “might benefit the world”.

But Brazil is not so sure this is going to work out the way Uruguay President Jose Mujica wants it to.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff told him that while she understood and respected the domestic debate, she also expressed her fear that the effects could drift over the border into Brazil.  Uruguay’s law forbids “drug tourism” and bans non-residents from buying cannabis.  But Brazil will step up its controls of people and luggage, should the predictions come true of a rising numbers of passengers traveling to and from Uruguay.

Brazil's federal police will file charges of international drug trafficking against anybody who tries to enter the country with any quantity of marijuana. The usual sentence for narcotics trafficking is between three and 10 years in jail – that will be boosted by a maximum of six years in any case that involves crossing borders.