Uruguay Revives Its Plan to Allow Tourists to Legally Access Cannabis

Uruguay is once again considering allowing foreign tourists to buy legal cannabis. Already mentioned in 2021, this opening of the regulated market could this time be implemented by a simple executive order, without requiring legislative reform.

Nearly 13 years after becoming the the first country in the world to legalize cannabis for adult use On a national level, Uruguay is thus considering expanding a model that is currently limited to its citizens and permanent residents.

Will legal cannabis soon be available to tourists?

On October 5, 2026, Martín Rodríguez, executive director of the’Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA), confirmed on the show 8 a.m. that the authorities were exploring the possibility of opening the legal market to foreign visitors.

According to him, this change could be implemented by executive decree, a procedure that would allow for changes to the conditions governing access to cannabis without necessarily triggering a new parliamentary debate.

The stated goal is to allow tourists to have access to a legal and regulated supply, with safeguards similar to those available to consumers who are already authorized. For now, no date has been set, and the practical details remain to be determined, particularly regarding the identification of buyers, their potential registration, and the quantities they would be allowed to purchase.

A proposal that was already on the table in 2021

The opening of the Legal cannabis for tourists However, this is not a new idea in Uruguay. As Newsweed reported in December 2021, several members of the Broad Front, including Eduardo Antonini, Sebastián Sabini, and Alejandro Sánchez, had presented a proposal to allow foreign visitors to purchase cannabis at pharmacies and consumer clubs.

The text also called for relaxing the rules governing Cannabis Clubs, increasing their maximum membership from 45 to 200 and the number of plants they are allowed to grow from 99 to 300.

At the time, supporters of the project highlighted, in particular, the potential economic benefits of the cannabis tourism, in a country that was seeking to revive its tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Five years later, the idea is back on the table, but with a different approach. Whereas the 2021 proposal envisaged a broader change to the legal framework, the authorities are now exploring a more targeted regulatory solution.

Who can buy cannabis in Uruguay today?

Since the law was passed in 2013, Uruguay has implemented a a highly regulated system for accessing cannabis. Pursuant to the Decree 120/014, only Uruguayan citizens and foreign nationals with permanent residency may access the adult-use cannabis market, provided they are at least 18 years old. To purchase cannabis at a pharmacy, consumers must present a valid Uruguayan ID card and proof of address.

The system relies on three separate supply channels:

• Approved Pharmacies, which distribute cannabis to registered buyers.
• Self-cultivation, restricted to authorized individuals.
• Cannabis Clubs, which farm collectively for their members.

These three categories are mutually exclusive: a consumer cannot be classified in more than one category at a time. Tourists, even when they are legally staying in the country, are therefore excluded from the program.

Is mandatory registration coming to an end?

Beyond opening up to tourists, Martín Rodríguez also mentioned a more profound change in the Uruguayan model: the possible elimination of the’Mandatory consumer registration.

The director of the IRCCA said he was personally in favor of this long-term prospect, while noting that it would require a change in the law. In particular, he highlighted the contrast between the requirements for purchasing cannabis and those applicable to other legal products, such as alcohol, which can be purchased without prior registration.

This reform, however, is distinct from the proposal currently under consideration, which is primarily aimed at expanding access to the existing market.

A legal market with more than 120,000 registered users

This discussion comes as the Uruguay's legal cannabis market continues to grow. According to data reported by Uypress, Uruguay had 120,083 registered individuals into its control system by the end of April 2026.

Among them, 88 955 were registered to buy cannabis at a pharmacy, 20 798 were members of cannabis clubs and 10 330 were registered as small-scale farmers.

These figures represent the number of people authorized to access the system and do not necessarily reflect the number of regular users.

Including tourists could expand the customer base of the regulated market and offer visitors a legal alternative to underground tours. It remains to be seen what conditions the government will adopt and whether this new effort will succeed, five years after the first parliamentary proposals.