December 2013General sourceWell documented
Uruguay: First Country to Legalize
On the timeline · around December 2013 ·
What happened
In December 2013, under President José Mujica, Uruguay became the first country in the world to fully legalize and regulate cannabis — from cultivation to sale — as an alternative to the violence of the illegal drug trade.
Why it matters
Uruguay broke the global prohibition consensus at the national level, showing a sovereign state could legalize cannabis and defy the UN treaty framework.
Sources
- The Wilson Center. Marijuana: Made in Uruguay · General source