Uruguay cannabis market still struggles for legitimacy a year after historic ruling

Regulatory bodies, police and pharmacies have yet to catch up with home growers and their steady clientele
The Guardian (UK)
Monday, July 13, 2015

yes-we-cannabis-mujicaIn May 2014, then-president Mujica signed far-reaching regulations for Uruguay’s marijuana market, making the nation the first country in the world to legalize sales of cannabis. The measures – passed by the senate in December 2013 – allowed marijuana users to access in three ways: by growing it at home, or buying it from pharmacies or collective “grow clubs”. But more than a year later the government body supposed to control the legal market is underfunded and understaffed, while police continue harassing growers and the pharmacy plan has barely advanced beyond the drawing board.