José Mujica, the first president to legalize cannabis, has died aged 89

José «Pepe» Mujica, former president of the’Uruguay and the first world leader to legalize recreational cannabis for adults in 2013, has died aged 89.

Former guerrilla, a political prisoner, Mujica will be remembered not only for his austere lifestyle and moral leadership, but also for his for having pushed through several progressive reforms whose cannabis legalization.

A vision rooted in social justice

In 2013, while many governments were still maintaining strict bans, the’Uruguay has become the first country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. Mujica, who was president at the time, made it clear that the aim was not to promote consumption, but to deprive the poor of the means to make a living. drug trafficking networks their power and protect the population.

As he so aptly put it: « The fight against drug trafficking isn't won with bullets. It's won by taking their business. »

His conviction was the fruit of decades of personal sacrifice. Having endured prison under a military dictatorship, Mujica knew well the price of state repression. His approach to cannabis reform reflected a broader vision: that of the public health, the individual freedom and the’rational policy-making.

A decade of legal cannabis in Uruguay

Today, Uruguay's cannabis system is in its infancy. eleventh grade, operates through three strictly regulated channels: the domestic culture, the members-only cannabis clubs and the sale in pharmacies. According to magazine contributor Javier Hasse Forbes, By early 2025, more than 100,000 Uruguayans were officially registered in the legal system:

• 75 498 buy cannabis in pharmacies
• 15 162 are members of cannabis clubs
• 11 465 are certified amateur growers

Although only 40 pharmacies stock products across the country, this model has demonstrated clear benefits for public health. National surveys indicate that problematic cannabis use remains low, at 2.1 %, while the’the average age at which consumption begins has risen, from 18 to 20 years of age. Legal access now represents 37 % of total cannabis consumption in the country.

« Proven positive impact »declared Mercedes Ponce de León, director of’Expo Cannabis Uruguay, during a presentation at the C-Days 2025 conference in Barcelona.

Global influence, local challenges

Uruguay's pioneering model has served as a benchmark for other countries. L’Germany, which legalized the personal consumption of cannabis in 2024, has directly borrowed elements such as the licensed cannabis clubs and the domestic culture. The Canada and the Colombia have also developed their regulatory framework based on the’health-oriented approach of Uruguay.

However, Mujica's model is not without limits. The products on offer are limited to 20% of THC, are mainly presented as flower shape and are often hard to find outside urban areas. Export ambitions have also been hampered by logistical and political difficulties.

As Ms Ponce de León warned, «if the regulatory framework is not updated, the model risks becoming purely symbolic».

The Mujica effect: beyond politics

Mujica's influence has extended beyond law and politics, to the genetic foundations of cannabis itself. In 2013, his administration invited growers to submit strains for the Uruguayan supply chain.

Javier «El Zurdo» González, founder of Positronics Seeds, had his cultivars selected for the national program. Today, these varieties are stored in the Svalbard global gene bank.

«Mujica made me a better person,» González recalls in an interview. His impact, both political and biological, is now an integral part of cannabis history.

José Mujica's cannabis legalization law wasn't about liberalism for liberalism's sake. It was about dignity, of responsibility and freedom from fear. He spoke clearly, lived modestly and acted boldly when no other leader would.

As El Planteo, « He was the president who sowed the future before anyone else. »