Over-the-counter marijuana now available in Uruguay

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‍By CGTN's Joel Richards

Uruguay is working to fully implement the legalization of marijuana, approved by Congress in 2013. There are now 16 pharmacies authorized to sell over-the-counter cannabis to registered users.

Two types of marijuana are available, Alfa 1 and Beta1.

In a country of nearly 3.5 million, less than 5,000 people have registered to buy over the counter, according to the Institute of Regulation and Control of Cannabis, in addition to Cannabis Clubs and registered home-growers.

People queue in line outside a pharmacy to buy legal marijuana in Montevideo, Uruguay on July 19, 2017. /VCG Photo

This is the latest phase in the legalization of marijuana since Congress approved the law in 2013 during the presidency of Jose "Pepe" Mujica. Before leaving office, Mujica told CGTN that the war on drugs has failed.

“The world will adopt policies similar to what we are doing, we are conscious that we are in the vanguard of the world, the facts show that over the past century we cannot defeat drugs by prohibition,” Mujica said.

In neighboring Chile and Argentina, medicinal use of marijuana has also been approved in Congress. Some polls, however, suggest more than 60 percent of Uruguayans oppose cannabis legalization.

In a recent interview, Secretary of Human Rights Nelson Villarreal told CGTN there is an overlap in time frames between legalization and social acceptance.

Home grower Charly shows marijuana buds in his house in Montevideo, Uruguay on July 17, 2017. /VCG Photo

“One thing is the law that legitimizes and legalizes the right of people to use substances, but this is a strategy against other types of drugs that generate other larger problems. Another issue is how society sees this, which is why it took so long to implement this,” Villarreal said.

This latest and somewhat delayed phase in legalization does not mean that cannabis is openly on sale in coffee shops to tourists and casual users. The philosophy behind this policy has always been to regulate the market, and steer users of this drug away from criminals and into government control. The state not only sells but also produces the cannabis on sale.

Registered users can buy up to 40 grams a month, and with five gram bags costing just six dollars, additional authorized pharmacies may soon be needed to cope with demand.