The small South American nation of Uruguay has become the very first country to fully legalize the cultivation, sale and use of cannabis. In the upcoming weeks, citizens of the country will be able to walk into their local pharmacy and buy government-approved cannabis for the low price of $1.30 per gram. But if you’re a visitor, don’t expect to get your hands on the government’s stash.
In the United States we have seen state after state embrace full-on adult-use legalization. As a byproduct of this, we have seen an uptick in the sale of edible cannabis products like candies and other sweets. But none of that is going to fly in Uruguay. Edibles infused with derivatives of the plant are strictly forbidden, in addition to cannabis cafes and purchases made by non-residents of the country. In fact, the government has quite a greater reach over the cannabis production in their country than we see here in the US. Government agencies in Uruguay will determine everything from the amount of THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis) to the overall genetic makeup of the cannabis produced.
Uruguay is the latest in countries within the Americas to legalize cannabis on some level-either medicinally or recreationally. Canada, Mexico and Colombia are among them, but Uruguay is the only country wherein the government will have such an involved hand in the cultivation process.
In fact, when compared to how legalization is handled in some other nations, Uruguay’s approach is decidedly rather boring. Anything that so much as resembles a form of commercial branding or advertising is banned. The companies that are to be charged with the cultivation of government-approved cannabis aren’t even allowed to place their company’s labels on the packaging. Julio Calzada, a public health official in Uruguay, stated that his country will not facilitate a “Competitive industry peddling pot versions of Marlboro and Camel,” and cites Colorado as an example.
“To us, marijuana is a vegetable substance with a capacity to generate addiction, so what we’re trying to do is control the production, distribution and consumption of that substance as effectively as possible,” Calzada stated clearly of his country’s approach to the increasingly socially acceptable plant.
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