Uruguay has become the first country to legalise the production and sale of marijuana.
Under a ground-breaking new law, passed by the country’s parliament on Tuesday, Uruguayans are permitted to grow the drug legally, or buy up to 40 grams per month from the government via pharmacies.
Private clubs for marijuana consumption will also be allowed, adding to citizens’ existing rights to smoke it legally.
The law goes well beyond the marijuana legalization measures recently approved by the US states of Colorado and Washington, or the similarly liberal laws of the Netherlands and Spain.
Under Uruguay’s proposed law, consumers over the age of 18 will be able to grow their own marijuana, though no more than six plants per person.
In every case, users must be registered with the government.