Uruguayan cannabis sold in pharmacies will contain only 2% of THC

Uruugay to begin selling recreational cannabis to adults this Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Uruguay will thus become the first South American country to selling recreational cannabis in pharmacies after legalizing it in 2013. The list of the 16 pharmacies that will be selling recreational cannabis will be published online tomorrow. However, we have come across an interesting detail that has gone unnoticed until now: the cannabis that will be sold in pharmacies will contain a maximum of 2% of THC and 7% of CBD!

Two types of recreational cannabis sold

The Institute for Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA) has issued a press release which summarizes the legal framework for the sale of cannabis for recreational use in pharmacies, and defines the varieties currently on sale:

• The product ALFA 1 is an indica-dominant hybrid cannabis variety containing 2% of THC and 7% of CBD.
• The product BETA 1 is a sativa-dominant hybrid cannabis variety containing 2% of THC and 6% of CBD.

Why limit THC levels to 2%? For Luis RIVERA VELEZ, a doctoral student at Sciences Po studying drug policy in Latin America, it's a question of the new government's desire to make cannabis as boring as possible, in an attempt to dissuade potential users, while at the same time taking the substance out of the illegal sphere. And in the process, he explains, is jeopardizing the regulation/legalization system.

Other indications are that these cannabis varieties will be distributed in 5-gram pouches. The cannabis will come from greenhouse cultivation, controlled and regulated by the IRCCA. The herb will be sold dried and unground.

The IRCCA press release also reminds us that all information provided by people who registered to buy recreational cannabis are protected by high security standards, in compliance with law 188331 concerning the protection of personal data.

Of the customers registered so far, 60% live in Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, and 70% are men.

For those who would like THC or CBD If you're in the upper echelons, there will always be Cannabis Social Clubs or self-cultivation.

Mehdi Bautier