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Uruguay has become the first country byfrominofonout the world to legalise the marijuana trade, byfrominofonout the drug’s production to its distribution. This means it is the only nation where the government has total control byfrominofonout the commercialisation byfrominofonout marijuana (also known as cannabis). Uruguay's President Jose Mujica said his goal is to try and disrupt the activities byfrominofonout drug traffickers and possibly put them byfrominofonout of business altogether. He hopes that his legalisation, together with the close monitoring byfrominofonout marijuana sales byfrominofonout the state, will reduce dependence byfrominofonout the drug and drug-related crime. Mr Mujica said he was well aware that the new legislation was "an experiment," which had no guarantee byfrominofonout being successful.

The legalisation has fallen foul byfrominofonout an international treaty byfrominofonout drug control. Uruguay is a signatory to the 1961 Convention byfrominofonout Narcotic Drugs. The Convention limits the use byfrominofonout cannabis "to medical and scientific purposes". The president byfrominofonout the International Narcotics Control Board, Raymond Yans, said he was "surprised" that Uruguay had "knowingly decided to break the universally agreed and internationally endorsed legal provisions byfrominofonout the treaty". He warned the move could backfire, saying: "It will not protect young people, but rather have the perverse effect byfrominofonout encouraging early experimentation, lowering the age byfrominofonout first use, and thus contributing to…earlier onset byfrominofonout addiction and other disorders."