Uruguay is considering changes to its marijuana laws that would allow foreign tourists to purchase marijuana through the country’s regulated retail system, potentially opening legal sales to visitors for the first time.
Martín Rodríguez, executive director of Uruguay’s Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA), confirmed recently that officials are examining ways to give foreign visitors access to marijuana sold through authorized pharmacies.
Under current law, purchasing marijuana from pharmacies requires registration with the government. Eligibility is restricted to adults with Uruguayan citizenship or permanent residency, effectively excluding tourists and other short-term visitors.
Rodríguez said the government is exploring changes that could allow foreign visitors to make purchases without meeting the existing residency requirements. According to the regulator, the change could potentially be implemented through an executive decree rather than requiring lawmakers to amend the country’s marijuana legalization law.
The proposal has been under discussion for more than a year, with regulatory officials completing technical and legal work before advancing the matter to the executive branch.
Rodríguez also raised the possibility of eventually eliminating mandatory registration for marijuana purchases altogether, although he acknowledged that such a change would require legislative approval because the registration system is established in law.
The regulator questioned why marijuana consumers face registration requirements that do not apply to people purchasing alcohol, despite the latter’s documented public health and social risks.
Uruguay became the first country to legalize marijuana nationwide in 2013, establishing a government-regulated system that includes pharmacy sales, registered home cultivation and membership-based marijuana clubs. Legal pharmacy sales began in July 2017.
According to IRCCA data, more than 120,000 people were registered to access marijuana through the country’s three legal distribution channels as of April 30, 2026, including nearly 89,000 registered pharmacy purchasers.
Allowing tourists to participate would represent a significant expansion of Uruguay’s legalization framework, which has historically emphasized access for residents rather than marijuana tourism.
No implementation date has been announced, and foreign visitors remain ineligible to purchase marijuana from the country’s regulated pharmacies while the proposed changes are being considered.
