Legal marijuana sales are underway in Uruguay, the first country to officially legalize the plant for retail sale.
As of today (June 19) in Uruguay, marijuana is being sold in pharmacies throughout the country. As part of the country’s marijuana laws, those 18 and older are authorized to purchase up to 40 grams of marijuana for personal use. In order to combat the black-market, cannabis is being sold tax-free at roughly $1.50 a gram, exponentially cheaper than the price of marijuana in the eight U.S. states that have legalized the plant (where prices range from $10 to $18 a gram).
As part of the new law, first approved in 2013, marijuana clubs where up to 45 members can collectively produce up to 99 plants are also allowed. In addition, anyone 18 and older is authorized to grow up to six cannabis plants at a private residence, for personal use. Regulation for the new industry are overseen by the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis.
The report — which can be found by 
The new law – which decriminalizes the possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana, and ip to five grams of hash – officially goes into effect in 
The approved proposal includes a specific set of rules and guidelines that would make Alaska the first state where on-site consumption of recreational marijuana is allowed at retail outlets. These include requiring ventilation, and limiting the amount of marijuana can be consumed. Approval of the rules will open up a 60-day public comment period.
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The legalization of marijuana was first proposed by former-President José Mujica in 2012 as part of a comprehensive package of proposals aimed at improving public safety. Uruguay’s parliament gave final approval to the measure in December 2013, making Uruguay the first country in the world to fully legalize cannabis for retail distribution. This week – over 3.5 years later – legal sales will finally begin.
A three-judge panel agreed that if a drug-sniffing dog is trained to alert officers to marijuana and other drugs, cops need more cause to search a vehicle without permission.
The amendment was approved with a bipartisan 24 to 7 vote (with even a majority of Republicans voting in favor, 9 to 7); it’s attached to a larger spending bill that funds the VA. The amendment allows VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis to patients in states where its legal, changing current policy which prohibits “V.A. providers from completing forms seeking recommendations or opinions regarding a Veteran’s participation in a State marijuana program.”
“Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a crucial role in host antiviral immune response through secretion of type I interferon”, states the study’s abstract. “[P]rolonged pDC activity has been linked with progression from HIV infection to the development of AIDS.”
