Cannabis in Uruguay: An Overview
- Austin Mullins
- Sep 21
- 5 min read
Among the many reforms that were enacted by the government of former President Jose Mujica "Pepe", the legalization of cannabis in December 2013 received considerable world-wide attention. Cited as the first country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis, Uruguay is among a few limited places where the cultivation, sale, and use of cannabis is legal. However, unlike the merely decriminalized Netherlands, the destination for drug tourism where procurement of various forms of cannabis is easily accessible to locals and visitors alike, Uruguay has approached the legalization of cannabis along very strict lines.
Limitations
Locals Only
As part of the legalization effort, there was considerable attention paid to the fact that legalization might encourage drug tourism to Uruguay. Looking to Amsterdam as a case study in what not do, Uruguay decided that only permanent residents and citizens would be able to grow, sell, or purchase cannabis through a highly regulated system. While it is legal for nonresidents to be gifted and consume cannabis, they are not allowed to purchase it. It is a surprise to many tourists who visit Uruguay that there are no coffeehouses or places to purchase cannabis for personal use.
The prohibition of cannabis access to tourists has, unfortunately, allowed for a black market to continue to exist. The elimination of the black market was one of the intentions of legalization. As this has not happened, there continue to be calls for government to lift the restrictions of sales to tourists. Not only have sale restrictions only further reinforced the black market, but the missing revenue that could be extracted from consuming tourists presents a strong argument for allowing its sale to visitors.
Flower Only
Edibles, vaping, and non-flower cannabis is nearly unheard of Uruguay. Homemade brownies and cookies are often sold at music festivals, or on the beach during the summer months by individuals; however, there are no cafes or stores where edibles are sold. For anyone looking for smoke-less ways to consume THC such as tinctures and candies, many resort to home recipes (and smelling up the apartment in trying to do so).
And even if you are on board with smoking/inhaling, the work is on the individual to roll their own joints, or buy and maintain pipes and other accoutrement since none of the official avenues sell "pre-rolls" or other ready-to-go items. While it is perfectly acceptable to smoke cannabis on the street, it is far less common than might be expected. I've encountered far more open use of cannabis in New York City than I have in Uruguay.
Where to Buy?
Provided you are a citizen or a permanent resident (your residency must be fully granted with your final ID card "Cedula") signing up is very easy. There are a handful of post offices, Correro Uruguay, where you present your ID, fill out a declaration, are fingerprinted, and your information is entered into the cannabis registry.
Once entered into the registry, there are three options available for procuring cannabis:
1) Grow your own plants.
Users can register to cultivate a set number of plants in their home, for personal or household consumption, and not to exceed 480 cultivated grams per year. Only 1 permit is allowed per household and it is good for 3 years. Given the time, energy, and expense required for growing, this is only for the true diehards.
2) Join a Grow Club.
These are non-profit clubs, limited to between 15-45 members, where plants are grown for the consumption of the club members. All harvested product stays within the grow club and is limited to 480 grams per member per year. Grow clubs can choose the variety or type of cannabis they wish to cultivate, but all activity is registered and regulated. The cost is more expensive than pharmacy cannabis (see below). Grow club cannabis generally contains much higher concentrations of THC and is usually of very high quality. Each grow club has different ways of growing: natural, hydroponic, hybrid, so people can join a club that appeals to them. Clubs are popular and there are stores where members (and growers from group #1) can obtain equipment. Unfortunately, finding and joining a club is difficult as the IRCCA, the cannabis regulatory agency, who maintains a registry of the clubs, does not provide contact information for the groups, currently the website listing grow clubs doesn't exist. Further, grow clubs are not permitted to solicit or promote their clubs, so they are joined usually by word of mouth.
3) Buy from the pharmacy.
Regulated by the government agency, IRCCA, since 2017, three select growers distribute their product through pharmacies around the country where cannabis is available for purchase to consumers at a set price. At these pharmacies medications, medicines, and other common products are sold, while there is a separate counter for purchasing cannabis. There are different varieties available in various strains and potencies. The higher the THC concentration, the higher the cost, and those generally sell out quickly, while the lower concentrations are less expensive and nearly always available. All three growers produce all four varieties and are indicated by the package color a roman numeral at the end of the name, with III (purple) being the most popular.
Name | Type | THC % | CBD% |
|---|---|---|---|
Alfa | Indica | 9% | 3% |
Beta | Sativa | 9% | 3% |
Gamma | Indica | 15% | 1% |
Epsilon | Sativa | 20% | 1% |
Consumers are limited to two 5g bags per week, for a total of 40g per month, just as with the grow clubs and personal cultivation. Prices range from $400-600 pesos per bag, so a weekly supply can be anywhere from $20 to $30. Cash only.
Pharmacies are the most popular of the three options, given the low cost and general accessibility. However, the quality is much lower than that of the grow clubs and the most popular varieties usually sell out within a couple of days of restocking. Also, while there are a number of pharmacies across Montevideo, there might only be one or two locations for an entire department in certain parts of the country.
Future of Cannabis
The movement to expand access to cannabis beyond residents and citizens is currently not a priority for the government. However, the current administration is exploring legalizing psychedelics and other recreational drugs, so it remains to be seen what will happen.
Far from being another Netherlands, or, more recently, the ad hoc decriminalization in the United States, the unique approach taken by Uruguay has been cautious and centralized. Overall, the legalization has been successful, providing the government with revenue as well as useful statistics on usage and consumption, albeit with issues remaining unresolved over the black market, access to nonresidents, and the restrictive nature of agency regulation.
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