Uruguay’s President Signs Bill Legalizing Marijuana

Uruguay
officially
became the first country to legalize marijuana on Monday night,
when President Jose Mujica quietly signed a bill
passed by the legislature two weeks ago. Regulators have until
April 9 to write the rules for the new distribution system, which
will include sales at pharmacies (up to 40 grams a month per
consumer) and joint cultivation by nonprofit cannabis clubs. But as
of Tuesday, it is legal for each household to grow up to six plants
and harvest up to 480 grams (a bit more than a pound) annually.

While Uruguay is the first nation-state to legalize marijuana
for general use, two U.S. states, Colorado and Washington, beat it
by a year. Each is larger in population and territory than the
small South American country, which covers 68,000 square miles and
is home to 3.3 million people. Between them Colorado and Washington
cover 175,000 square miles, with a total population of about 12
million. The world’s first government-licensed recreational pot
stores
will open next Wednesday in Colorado.