Pharmacies in Uruguay have been authorized to sell a new type of marijuana called Épsilon, making it the fourth variety that is legally available to customers.
According to the daily newspaper The everydaythe new variant has a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content equal to or less than 20% and a cannabidiol (CBD) content equal to or less than 1%. THC is responsible for psychoactive effects on users, meaning that products with a higher THC to CBD ratio are likely to create more intense psychoactive experiences.
The other three variants already available for purchase in Uruguayan pharmacies are Alpha and Beta, which have THC levels equal to or less than 9% and CBD levels equal to or less than 3%, in addition to Gamma, which has THC levels equal to or less than 15% and CBD levels of 1%.
Alpha and Beta, the first two varieties to be sold in Uruguayan pharmacies after marijuana was legalized under former president José Mujica’s government in 2013, were considered “low potency” strains. After the more potent Gamma strain was introduced in December 2022, the number of people legally registered to buy marijuana at pharmacies rose from 51,249 to 62,288 in less than nine months. Additionally, the amount of marijuana sold increased from 1,774 kilograms in 2022 to 3,258 in 2023.
The decision was criticized by the presidential candidate of the right-wing party Cabildo Abierto (Open Cabildo), senator and former army commander Guido Manini, who posted on X: “It is irresponsible and criminal for the state to sell drugs without any study on the effects they will have on users. What else are we going to do to compete with drug traffickers? When are we going to start educating young people about the harm caused by drug use?”
The post was in response to a video recently taken of a long line outside a pharmacy selling cannabis in Montevideo.
However, Daniel Radío, secretary of Uruguay’s National Drug Board compared the marijuana industry to winemaking, explaining, “Some people have a grape vine at home and occasionally cultivate it, putting their grapes in a demijohn in the back of the house for making wine, but most people don’t. Instead, they go and buy from a store. When standing in front of the shelf, they have options: Tannat, Cabernet, Merlot. And they choose.”
Initially, the amount of Épsilon on sale will be limited, with the intention that the strain will be gradually introduced into the market, according to the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA). The price for a five-gram pack of Epsilon will be 570 Uruguayan pesos (approximately $13 USD).
In addition to buying marijuana in pharmacies, Uruguayan citizens are also allowed to grow it at home for personal use and obtain it as a member of an officially recognized cannabis club. Currently, 71,843 Uruguayan citizens are legally registered to buy cannabis in pharmacies, 11,708 have received permission to grow it at home and 13,687 are members of cannabis clubs.
