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Uruguay: Ircca director dismissed and new varieties at 9%

Published

9 years ago

November 17, 2017

Augusto Vitale, who until now had served as director of Uruguay’s Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (Ircca), was removed from his post by decision of the executive branch. This change is reportedly due to the erosion of Vitale’s reputation in the months following the Legalization of cannabis in Uruguay.

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His replacement will be Diego Olivera, who currently serves as secretary of the National Drug Office (JND). He will retain his current position, as the director of IRCCA is not expected to devote full-time attention to the role and may combine it with another position.

This layoff comes amid a major crisis in cannabis regulation in Uruguay. The cannabis shortage is currently affecting pharmacies, because the quality is unsuitable for consumption.

The shortage was expected to last until mid-November but will be delayed by a few days. However, the products that will go on sale will offer more variety, with strains containing up to 9% of THC, instead of the current limit of 2%.

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Aurélien BERNARD

Aurélien founded Newsweed in 2015. Particularly interested in international regulations and the various cannabis markets, he also has an extensive knowledge of the plant and its uses.