The sale of Marijuana in Uruguay will start in the second Semester of 2014.
Legal Marijuana is soon reality in Uruguay, sales will start in the second half of 2014. This will allow enough time to prepare the harvest and the selling strategies but also to define the regulations.
The New Regulation
There is an interdisciplinary group working on the regulation of the law regulating the market for Marijuana in Uruguay. The regulations will be presented in a few days and will define where and how it will be catered for those who decide to buy drugs in pharmacies and not recur to self-cultivation or to membership clubs. Modern software will also allow a general control of the entire system from the point of production to retailing. However there are still many aspects that need to be implemented.
Marijuana Membership Clubs
Consumers may opt for self-cultivation each person may have up to six plants or a production up to 480 grams creating membership clubs which may take from 15 to 45 members and a maximum of 99 plants or you can buy the production of the state at a price of one dollar per gram and not more than 40 grams per month.
The consumers must register at the Institute of Regulation and Control of Cannabis which database will not be published. The law also states that those who cultivate marijuana without being enrolled in this new entity will have a term of 20 months to 10 years imprisonment.
Competing with the Informal Market.
The price of marijuana will be determined by the State with a set low price so that it can compete with drug trafficking. The drug will be priced at $1 a gram and each user will be registered in a database that will not be made public and may buy up to 40 grams per month.
Cost of marijuana to the public also needs to balance up the different price of the marihuana in the region which could be lower.
Good Quality
The main objective of the law is to fight the drug trafficking market not only by competing with the price but selling marihuana of excellent quality product. The illegal market is very risky and of poor quality. Moreover the state will provide a safe place to purchase the product eliminating the street vendors.
The maximum of 40 grams per month can vary depending on the amount of THC (tetrahidrocarbocannabinol) that the cannabis of the State will sell. THC is the main psychoactive component of cannabis. The National Drug Board thinks marijuana to be grown should be between 5 % and 12 % THC (with more than 1 % it is considered psychoactive cannabis) .
Also, the Government is prepared to provide more information to users about ways that marihuana can be used. In addition to be vulcanized or burned, it also can be vaporized which is much less harmful or given in foods like brownies.
They recommend that when consuming marijuana users should avoid fat meals since marijuana effects can be more durable and more risky.
A new Market ?
Although the Government has received inquiries from Uruguayans abroad interested in investing in the production of marijuana, the call for bids to determine who will be responsible for planting is still not defined.
According to figures from the National Drug Board, 120,000 people use marijuana at least once a year. Of these 75,000 do so at least once a month and 20,000 daily.
We are not sure that we are specialists in Marijuana but we are in Real Estate and for information on how to obtain more info about life and Real Estate in Uruguay please contact us.
Mary Ann Thompson
