Is Cannabis / THC legal in Uruguay?
- Legal status
- Recreational cannabis LEGAL but for registered Uruguayan citizens/permanent residents (18+) ONLY via IRCCA — TOURISTS/foreigners CANNOT register or legally buy through any channel
- Consequences if caught
- Uruguay was the first country to fully legalise recreational cannabis (Law 19.172, 2013), BUT all three legal channels (pharmacy, clubs, home grow) require IRCCA registration restricted to Uruguayan citizens and permanent residents aged 18+. TOURISTS/foreigners CANNOT register and CANNOT legally buy cannabis through any channel. Registered residents may: home-grow up to 6 plants / 480 g per year; join a club of 15–45 members; or buy at a pharmacy up to 40 g/month (10 g/week) at a government-set price from IRCCA-controlled strains. Public consumption (wherever tobacco is banned) and advertising are prohibited.
- If prescribed or medical
- A foreign visitor cannot legally access cannabis in Uruguay; the legal channels are residents-only via IRCCA registration.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging for any controlled medicine, and declare it. Note: legal cannabis access is for registered Uruguayan citizens/permanent residents only — see the cannabis cell.
- Law 19.172 (2013, cannabis regulation)
- Decree-Law 14.294, Arts 30/31 (as amended by Law 17.016 and Law 19.172)
- Instituto de Regulación y Control del Cannabis (IRCCA)
- impo.com.uy
- ircca.gub.uy
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Uruguay’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →