In a region wracked by drug-related crimes, Uruguay stood out in 2013 when it became the first country in Latin America, and the world, to legalize the growth and sale of marijuana. Critics argued that the move would open the floodgates to increased consumption and abuse, but then-President Jose “Pepe” Mujica argued that the measure would quell drug trafficking in a country where one-third of prison inmates serve time on narcotics-related charges. The decision, while unprecedented, is consistent with Uruguay’s legacy of socially progressive policies; the country legalized abortion in 2012, was among the first in Latin America to establish a welfare state guaranteeing free public education and has been a leader in women’s rights.

MONTEVIDEO – The Uruguayan government wants to spur research on medical marijuana under the 2013 legislation that decriminalized cannabis in the country, Milton Romani, secretary-general of the National Drugs Board, told EFE.

After a videoconference with Israeli experts, Romani said that Uruguay’s legal framework on marijuana “provides a comparative advantage” over other countries in developing medical uses of cannabis.

Dr. Itai Gur-Arie, head of Sheba Pain Clinic, said research on medicinal marijuana faces obstacles in Israel, where the substance is still banned.

High spirits. As most everyone knows by now, the Mexican Supreme Court issued a ruling yesterday opening the door to marijuana self-grows. Some details from El Daily Post: “Mexico's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesdaythat growing, possessing and smoking marijuana for recreation are legal under a person's right to personal freedoms. The five-justice panel approved the measure in a 4-1 vote. At this point, the ruling covers only the plaintiffs in one case, a group of people wanting to form a pot club. The ruling did not approve the sale or commercialization of marijuana, and it is not expected it will lead to general legalization.

Pablo Iglesias spoke of an idyllic world after the legalization of marijuana in Uruguay that does not correspond with reality. 63% of Uruguayans were against the measure. Only 2,000 of the 150,000 consumers have pointed to legal records. The sell in pharmacies has been delayed until 2016. It is impossible that from this data legalizing marijuana has had a beneficial impact.

Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that growing, possessing and smoking marijuana for recreation is legal under the right to freedom. The measure was approved in 4-1 vote on the five-justice panel, backing the argument that smoking marijuana is covered under the right of “free development of personality.”

Here’s a quick look at five countries where Marijuana is legal and what the law states:

Czech Republic

Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalise the personal cultivation, consumption and sale of cannabis.

Now its government is moving a step closer to a full commercial market for it, by awarding licenses for businesses to grow the drug. 

Many supporters hope the move might also lead to a breakthrough in cannabis research for medical purposes.

Wyre Davies reports from Montevideo.

Almost two years after passing legislation to legalize the growth and sale of marijuana, Uruguay’s government says the country is almost ready to begin commercialization. The process has been slowed by political and regulatory challenges, but may yet serve as a model for other Latin American countries seeking drug policy reform.

Uruguay, the world's first country to legalize marijuana, is aiming to produce between six and 10 tons of pot a year for local use, a senior government official told AFP.

National Drug Board chief Milton Romani told AFP in an interview that the pot would be distributed through pharmacies and sold to registered users at $1.40 a gram.

Almost everything is set so that sales can begin, Romani said. Officials need to choose companies to distribute the weed, and "we just need to fine-tune the software for registration and pharmacy sales," he said.

Now that the Liberals are in power, Canadians want to know if prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau will keep his word and legalize marijuana or if his promise will simply go up in smoke.

According to the party’s campaign platform, Canada’s prohibition approach doesn’t work.

“It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug,” the Liberals say.

“To ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals, we will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.”

But even the soon-to-be sworn-in prime minister doesn’t know when that might happen.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Uruguayan pharmacies on Thursday criticized the government’s plan to allow the sale of marijuana for recreational use in their stores.

In an announcement last week, the government said cannabis will go on sale in pharmacies within eight months, following the granting of licenses to two companies to grow cannabis for commercial sale, in accordance with a 2013 law.

But pharmacies must “work for the health of the population,” and “the use of psychoactive substances for recreational use, whether legal or not, is detrimental to health,” the Chemistry and Pharmacy Association of Uruguay (AQFU) argued in a statement.

The newspaper El País said 120 pharmacies in the capital Montevideo are interested in selling marijuana.