Sales statistics from Uruguay’s Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA) for the 2025 calendar year were recently analyzed, and the industry data for the nation’s legal adult-use cannabis market demonstrates strong growth.

“One ton more cannabis was sold in licensed pharmacies in 2025 compared to recent years, according to data from the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis ( IRCCA ) accessed by El País. Purchases of the drug by registered users in pharmacies reached 4,290 kilos last year, exceeding the figures for 2024 (3,207) and 2023 (3,254).” El País reported in its local coverage (translated from Spanish to English).

“The production of four cannabis varieties ( alpha , beta , gamma , and epsilon ) available in some pharmacies across the country, cultivated by state-authorized companies on guarded land in Libertad (San José), reached 4,658 kilos last year, also exceeding the amounts cultivated in 2024 (3,374) and 2023 (2,767). This is the largest volume of the drug produced and sold in pharmacies to date, since production began in 2017. Prior to 2022, this figure hovered around 2,000 kilos.” the outlet also reported.

Lawmakers in Uruguay adopted a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure in 2013, making it the first country in the world to do so. Legal cannabis sales through the nation’s registered pharmacies began in 2017.

Adult residents in Uruguay can register to source cannabis legally in one of three ways. The first is through pharmacies. Originally, only two strains were approved to be sold through pharmacies, but that has since expanded to four strains.

The first two strains sold in pharmacies were ‘Alpha’ and ‘Beta’, each with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels equal to or less than 9%, and cannabidiol (CBD) levels equal to or less than 3%. Then, in 2022, Uruguay permitted a third option, ‘Gamma,’ which has a THC level of equal to or less than 15%, and CBD levels of equal to or less than 1%. The ‘Epsilon’ strain, which has a THC content of equal to or less than 20% and a CBD content of equal to or less than 1%, was approved in late 2024.

The second way that adult residents in Uruguay can source cannabis legally is to join one of the nation’s licensed noncommercial adult-use cannabis associations. Lastly, adult residents can register to cultivate cannabis privately in their homes. Only residents of Uruguay can register for one of the three legal recreational cannabis sourcing channels, but lawmakers are reportedly considering opening up the industry to adults who are non-residents.