10 Facts About Uruguay’s Marijuana Legalization Program

Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize the production and sale of marijuana in December 2013, and the government-run program will officially launch later this year.

Here are 10 things you should know before the regulations are put in place.

1. Marijuana legalization isn’t totally new in Uruguay. Pot has been effectively decriminalized since 1974, when a law passed allowing judges to use discretion in drug cases.

2. With the legalization of the sale and production of marijuana, Uruguayans can grow up to six plants per household.

3. Uruguayans will buy pot from pharmacies, and can purchase roughly 1.4 ounces a month.

4. Advertising for marijuana products will be prohibited.

5. Uruguayans can join a club and get 1.4 ounces a month.

6. Uruguay’s legalization program was driven by government, unlike programs in Washington and Colorado, which were passed by voter initiatives.

7. At the time the legislation passed last year, 58 percent of Uruguayans opposed legalization.

8. Prison inmates will be able to use marijuana if a doctor says it will improve their health.

9. The planned price for pot will be as little as $1 per gram (an eighth of an ounce is equal to three grams). In Colorado, it’s about $28 a gram, depending on the strain.