Uruguay: cannabis legalization at a standstill

Uruguay legalized cannabis in 2014. Three years on, the state's plan to regulate cannabis is struggling to get off the ground.

Uruguayans still unable to buy their first legal supply of recreational cannabis in pharmacies. The finalization of state-controlled cannabis regulation is behind schedule.

The official explanation is the difficulty of setting up the pharmacy distribution system. Relations between private companies and the authorities are said to be at the root of these problems.

In the absence of an agreement between the two parties, cannabis will not reach pharmacies. The state is also asking for a security team to protect the production and transport of cannabis. The companies in charge of producing and transporting weed will increase costs, while the selling price has already been set.

The end of the chain is also faltering, with only 50 of the country's 1,200 pharmacies agreeing to distribute cannabis. By announcing that the in-store price will not exceed 1$, the 2 production companies are seeing their margins collapse.

Ready but not operational

However, the 2 companies announce that everything is ready for final distribution to customers. Visit harvest is dry, available for consumption. However, they don't say much about state/company relations. El Pais says that this atmosphere of secrecy betrays Pepe Mujica's desire for transparency.

Recreational cannabis is still not available in pharmacies, but the country is making progress in other sectors. The government has set up a cannabis regulatory authority and appointed two universities to conduct research on the plant. The legalization of self-cultivation is the great satisfaction of this first worldwide test. Uruguay currently has 5,446 home-grown cannabis producers and 27 registered cannabis social clubs. While the administration is slow to register and validate all applications, the ranks of self-cultivators are growing by the day.

The Uruguayan state authorized more than 5,000 of its citizens to grow their own weed in 2016. Once the distribution process is in place, Uruguayans will be able to buy 40 grams of cannabis per month from pharmacies.