Uruguay has made history by becoming the first country to approve recreational marijuana sales nationwide.
Four years ago, Uruguay became the first country to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. After years of debating regulations, the system is finally up and running.
Today, 16 pharmacies started recreational sales according to BBC. There is a national registry required to purchase marijuana legally. Approximately 5000 Uruguay residents have joined the registry.
There are semi strict regulations for customers in Uruguay. Residents are only permitted to purchase 10 grams per week and cannot exceed 40 grams per month. All marijuana legally sold in Uruguay comes from government supervised grow operations.
Residents will also have the right to grow at home or join a co-op. Five grams will cost customers about 187 Uruguayan pesos. Customers will be able to buy two different types of marijuana. Authorities in Uruguay are categorizing them as Alpha 1 and Beta 1. It is unclear what the distinctions mean and whether or not they are differentiating between Indica and Sativa strains.
According to officials in Uruguay, about 70% of registrants are men aged between 30 to 44. Lawmakers do not seem interested in marijuana tourism at this point. Only residents can join the registry to purchase marijuana.
Activists in Uruguay advocated for legal marijuana sales as a way to reduce crime and black market sales. If successful, Uruguay could help pave the way for many other countries to legalize.
