Reword and rewrite the following article in HTML, use a hip journalistic writing style and make the heading statements in H3 or bold font where necessary: Uruguay is once again weighing the possibility of allowing tourists and non-residents over 18 who visit the South American nation to buy legal cannabis even if they aren’t citizens.
The executive director of IRCCA (the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis), Martín Rodríguez, confirmed that the agency is analyzing this option to strengthen the country’s legal cannabis market, expand the reach of the formal market, and weaken the illicit one.
Currently, only people with permanent residency or a Uruguayan ID card can access regulated sales in pharmacies, which today offer four varieties: ALFA, BETA, GAMMA, and ÉPSILON.
The underlying issue, however, goes beyond attracting visitors: it’s tied to the original goals of the country’s regulatory framework.
Why does Uruguay want to legalize cannabis for tourists?
Uruguay moved past the debate over whether to regulate cannabis a long time ago: it regulated it, implemented it, and fine-tuned a system that, with all its nuances, delivered concrete results. A network of clubs, pharmacies, and home growers took shape; public information campaigns were strengthened; and a policy grounded in harm reduction and state control of the supply chain became firmly established.
As Martín Rodríguez explained, the regulatory framework “has been solidifying over the years,” but the model is now hitting a limit: what has been achieved so far is no longer enough to keep pushing back the illicit market or to close the access gaps left by the original law.
In an interview with Canal 10, the director asked: “What do we need to do so cannabis regulation continues fulfilling its goals more effectively?” And he answered his own question: “One of the key objectives here is to expand the reach of the formal market, to keep replacing the illegal or irregular market with a regulated one,” as reported by SwissInfo.
That said, it’s undeniable that cannabis tourism can operate as a powerful engine for economic activity, helping curb the illicit market and—true to form—attract even more tourism. Some places with strong adult-use markets, such as California or Colorado, have already rolled out cannabis-sales programs for tourists, and the results have been more than promising: increased activity in hospitality, dining, cultural events, and higher state revenue.
But the measure isn’t aimed solely at cannabis tourism. In Uruguay, many non-residents—who are not necessarily tourists—also cannot legally access cannabis in pharmacies. Think of people who come for the summer season and stay a few months, those who live abroad but travel to visit family, or anyone passing through for work, school, or any other reason. As long as your legal residence is outside Uruguay, you cannot buy regulated cannabis in pharmacies.
In 2013, under the administration of José Mujica, Uruguay passed Law 19.172, the first state-regulated adult-use cannabis market in the world. Since then, the country has pursued
