Uruguay is about to become the first country to allow the sale of cannabis over-the-counter in pharmacies
Uruguay is about to become the first country to allow the sale of cannabis over-the-counter in pharmacies.
Under the new law, cannabis will be available to citizens and permanent residents of Uruguay aged 18 and over, but not to foreigners.
People who sign up to a national will be able to purchase up to 40g of cannabis each month for recreational use.
The legalisation of the sale of cannabis in pharmacies was first proposed in 2013 but was postponed a number of times.
Licensed growers will supply cannabis to 16 pharmacies, with that number expected to increase to 30.
Juan Roballo, the head of the National Drug Board, said the government hoped greater regulation would “guarantee the quality and the purity of the product”.
However, many pharmacies are sceptical about whether they could profit from selling the drug at a set price. And some Uruguayans have expressed concerns that the national cannabis registry is an invasion of privacy.
Each pharmacy will be allocated 400kg of cannabis and can sell the drug in 5g containers.
Uruguay already permits home cultivation of cannabis for personal consumption.
Mr Roballo said there was unlikely to be “an avalanche of users” registering to purchase cannabis at pharmacies.
Legislation to relax regulations around recreational use of cannabis was also proposed in Canada this month.
The bill is expected to allow Canadians to grow up to four cannabis plants per household.
If passed, the law would also legalise the sale of cannabis to people over the age of 18 and regulate production.
