Uruguay may allow cannabis sales to tourists

Uruguay's Minister of Tourism, Germán Cardoso, told a radio program that he was considering a change in legislation so that tourists visiting Uruguay could buy cannabis.

Germán Cardoso a estimated that allowing tourists to buy cannabis is an issue that «needs to be analyzed», over and above «the definition of a tourism policy».

«Once a decision has been made by the government, the rule that a Uruguayan can consume and a foreigner cannot is contradictory it seems to me,» said the Tourism Minister.

During the interview, Cardoso said that in one afternoon he had been able to confirm that tourists considered Uruguay a cannabis consumption point and explained, «I knew a person a long time ago who was even a classmate of mine in high school and today he has a product store, absolutely legal set up in Ciudad Vieja, and asked me to visit.»

«He wanted me to experience the tourist behavior of cruise passengers coming down to the port,» he said and added: «In half an hour, I was talking to him, we could count 27 or 28 foreigners who came in to ask for cannabis, to acquire the stuff,« he said.

According to Tourism Minister Germán Cardoso, forcing tourists into illegality is not a solution, as the law should apply equally to all people living in the territory, whether residents or tourists. Cardoso believes that current legislation «leads tourists into illegality», because if they want to consume cannabis, they have to buy it on the black market.

The Minister assured that changes could be implemented and felt that «this should be part of the debate». «I have no doubt, at least we have to try it and therefore introduce changes [to the current law],» he added.

In 2013, Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalize cannabis. While the country has struggled to stabilize its 3 legal cannabis sales channels - cannabis clubs, self-cultivation and pharmacies - the model is now working for the local population, enabling Uruguayans to consume legally and locally.

As for tourists, the coalition formed by the National Party, the Colorado Party, the Open Cabildo, the Independent Party and the People's Party does not yet have a unanimous position.