The self-cultivation of marijuana stands out in Uruguay
In Uruguay, there's been a shift in marijuana consumption habits. Since legalization began a few months ago, consumers emphasize that home cultivation is preferable to buying it on the black market. They say it provides a much stronger experience, as they achieve a greater effect with fewer puffs and enjoy better flavors and aromas. Ultimately, they believe the quality of the cannabis is improved.
Marijuana clubs have been legal in Uruguay since September 2014, as has home cultivation for consumers who register it at post offices. There are approximately 3,000 people in Uruguay who cultivate marijuana at home, and many others who do so without registering, either out of fear or laziness. The number of consumers is estimated at around 120,000.
The so-called Paraguayan pressing or illegal sale of cannabis is suffering a setback, with self-cultivation or the preference for artisanal marijuana gaining ground.
“I’ve been growing my own marijuana for a long time and it never even crosses my mind to buy it on the black market. I had to do it recently because I was abroad, but then I got a headache and my mouth tasted like ammonia,” says a regular user named Pedro.
Another consumer, Álvaro Delgado Vivas, decided to join a cannabis club that currently has 45 members and cultivates about 95 plants, all within the law. “It’s strong, much more psychoactive, but it makes you feel better,” he explains, referring to his homegrown plants. “I’m 26 years old, and I stopped using Paraguayan brick weed three years ago. Sometimes I go to the stadium, and there are people who still smoke it because homemade bud is more expensive. In a way, this whole bud thing is new; it’s a whole different world. People in Montevideo are still using illegal marijuana because it will take some time before it’s sold in pharmacies,” he says.
According to the government, two companies will begin cultivating marijuana, and it will reach pharmacies for later sale to the public by mid-2016. Meanwhile, Uruguayan consumers will fluctuate between the legal and illegal markets.
“Quality marijuana is not readily available at 100%; sales in pharmacies are still pending. So many people mix and match: they smoke Paraguayan marijuana when they run out of flowers. That leads them to realize the difference in experience,” says Diego Perci, a sociologist and member of the organization Proderechos.
For all these reasons, a "grey or intermediate market" has emerged, which involves the sale of buds from self-cultivation.
While a gram of homegrown marijuana costs around 80 pesos (US$2.80), a gram of marijuana from the illegal market (Paraguayan pressed marijuana) costs 30 pesos (US$1.10). But when cannabis becomes available in pharmacies, authorities estimate its price will be less than US$1.10 per gram.
Laura Blanco, president of the Association for Cannabis Studies (AECU), states that the 40 grams per month authorized by law is excessive and that the government should conduct prevention and information campaigns about cannabis.
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