Cannabis — Uruguay

Uruguay's legal cannabis system is restricted to citizens and permanent residents only; tourists may not legally purchase or consume marijuana and risk arrest and prosecution.

Arrest and prosecution possible.

Cannabis is legal in Uruguay, but only for Uruguayan citizens and accredited permanent residents who register with the state regulator IRCCA, so a tourist has no lawful way to buy it. All three legal routes -- pharmacy sales, cannabis membership clubs and home growing -- require Uruguayan citizenship or permanent residence plus registration. Uruguayan law treats up to 40 grams as a personal-consumption quantity exempt from criminal liability, but buying outside the legal system, supplying others or carrying cannabis across a border falls under a trafficking article carrying 2 to 12 years in prison.

Importing, exporting, distributing, transporting, supplying or holding cannabis other than for personal consumption, without legal authorisation: 2 to 12 years' penitentiary, rising to 3 to 12 years where committed by an organised criminal group (Decreto-Ley 14.294 art. 31). Unauthorised production of psychoactive cannabis: 20 months to 10 years (art. 30). Taking cannabis out of the country is covered by the same export offence.