Uruguay: pharmacies to sell 3 types of cannabis in 2016

Uruguayans will be able to choose from three cannabis varieties, The National Bureau of Narcotics (BND) reports that the state will choose the drug to be sold in pharmacies in this small South American country next year.

Each variety will have different levels of psychotropic compounds such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). «There will be 3 options with indications on the effects of each type, with pointers to guide beginners to the nicer THC levels,» according to Bureau president Milton Romani. The names of the varieties have not yet been released.

Uruguay has become the first country to legalize cannabis cultivation and distribution at the end of 2013, mainly to wrest control of the market from the gangs while regulating and taxing its consumption.

The authorities have developed traceable, genetically distinct plants to ensure that they don't leave Uruguay's borders or end up on the black market.

The government estimates that legal users will be able to buy cannabis in pharmacies from mid-2016, when licensed producers will start selling their first harvest estimated at 4 tons. The cannabis will be sold at around 1$ per gram, and up to 40 grams per month per patient.

These groundbreaking cannabis laws have captured the world's attention at a time when many legislators are rethinking their repressive anti-drug policies.

Mexico has also opened a national debate to review the country's cannabis laws, while 4 people win the right to grow cannabis plants in court.

Uruguay has granted operating licenses to two companies, and registered 3,200 people authorized to grow up to 6 plants for personal use.

The authorities are also working with companies interested in the medical cannabis export opportunities to the United States and Europe.

But the Uruguayan government has encountered some difficulties to implement legislation passed 2 years earlier. «We want to do things right, and that takes time,» says Romani. «We have to be very careful because any blunder can ruin a unique experience in the world».