Buying Cannabis at a Uruguayan Pharmacy: Registration and Limits

Of the 88,955 people registered to buy at Uruguayan pharmacies at the end of April 2026, only 34,122 bought anything that month, according to the regulator IRCCA. The gap tells you something about the system: registering is easy, but getting to a pharmacy that has what you want is not always.

Who can buy

Uruguayan citizens and permanent residents, 18+

Where to register

Correo Uruguayo branches

ID at the counter

Fingerprint, no documents

Limits

10 g / 7 days, 40 g / 30 days, 480 g / year

Packet size

5 g

Pharmacies

60 (April 2026)

How to register and buy, step by step

1. Check you qualify
   You need a valid Uruguayan cédula showing natural or legal citizenship or permanent residence. IRCCA's registry criteria list cards marked “residencia en trámite” as not accepted.
2. Get proof of address
   A UTE, OSE or ANTEL landline bill in your name (IRCCA's registry criteria reject bills older than 90 days), or a certificate from your police station (seccional policial). Mobile phone bills don't count.
3. Register at the post office
   Take both documents to an authorized Correo Uruguayo branch. Your fingerprints are scanned into IRCCA's system.
4. Buy straight away
   IRCCA says you can buy as soon as registration is complete. Find a member pharmacy on IRCCA's published list.
5. Verify at the counter
   You place your finger on the reader; the pharmacist sees if you're within your limits, not who you are.
6. If your fingerprints don't read
   The post office prints a Cannabis Dispensing Ticket (TDC). It allows 10 g a week and 40 g a month and is valid for 30 days from first use.

What you can buy, and what it costs

Four state-approved varieties, all dried flower in sealed 5 g packets with a security stamp. IRCCA set new prices from August 1, 2026.

Épsilon, launched in October 2024 with THC of up to 20%, is by far the best seller, according to IRCCA's report for January–April 2026. Pharmacies sold 525 kg in March 2026 alone, up 51% on March 2025.

Why pharmacies run out, and where there are none

Supply was thin from the start. When sales began in July 2017, only 16 pharmacies were authorized and only two licensed companies were growing for the whole market, according to news agency reports at the time.

Banking made things worse. In August 2017 the state bank BROU closed the accounts of pharmacies selling cannabis and Santander said it would follow, citing the risk of being cut off from foreign banks under anti-money-laundering rules; some pharmacies warned they would stop selling.

Coverage is still uneven. Montevideo has 26 pharmacies, Canelones 8 and Maldonado 7. Colonia, Durazno, Florida, Soriano and Treinta y Tres had none in April 2026, while new outlets in Rivera and Tacuarembó filled a gap in the north.

Rules that trip people up

• Rolling limits, not calendar months — The system looks back 7, 30 and 365 days from each purchase. Buying 10 g on a Friday blocks you until the following Friday.
• One route only — If you're registered as a home grower or club member, you can't also buy at a pharmacy. Switching from home grow to pharmacy needs a three-month wait (Decree 120/014, art. 60).
• Uruguayans abroad can register — Citizens living overseas qualify with a valid cédula, but need a Uruguayan address certificate from a police station.
• No taking it home — Carrying cannabis out of Uruguay is illegal even if you bought it legally, IRCCA says.
• Where you can't smoke — Enclosed public places, workplaces, taxis and buses, and health, education and sports facilities indoors or out.

Can tourists buy at a pharmacy?

No. Registration requires a Uruguayan cédula, so visitors cannot use pharmacies in 2026. IRCCA's director said in February 2026 that the institute is looking for a way to let temporary visitors buy under similar conditions, and Montevideo Portal reported in August 2026 that opening the market to non-resident foreigners is among the changes still being drafted. Until a rule or law changes, registration needs a Uruguayan cédula. Our explainer Uruguay's legal cannabis and the tourist question covers the debate.

If a pharmacy is too far away, the other two routes are growing at home or joining a club: see home grow and clubs in Uruguay. Country overview: Uruguay hub.