The Cannabis Museum

The Cannabis Museum, in Montevideo

The Cannabis Museum of Montevideo, opened in December 2016, is a unique place that retraces the history of this plant and the pioneering policy of Uruguay, first country in the world to have legalised its production, distribution and consumption. The Montevideo audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this curiosity born from a bold and singular societal choice.

The pioneering country of a societal choice

Here is a curiosity that is found nowhere else, or almost: the Cannabis Museum of Montevideo. Its presence here is in no way anecdotal, for it stems from a societal choice that has made Uruguay a pioneering country throughout the world. In 2013, this small country of South America indeed became the first in the world to fully legalise the cannabis sector, from production to distribution and to consumption for recreational use. This decision, carried by the president of the time, José Mujica, an atypical and very respected figure, aimed above all to fight against drug trafficking and the violence that accompanies it, by withdrawing this market from the hands of criminal networks to place it under the control of the State. It is in this singular context that the Cannabis Museum opened, in December 2016, the first establishment of the kind in Latin America. It presents there the history of the plant through the ages and the civilisations, its multiple uses, whether industrial, textile, medical or recreational, as well as the political and social path that led Uruguay to its pioneering law. Far from any provocation, the museum offers a documented, cultural and historical approach, that sheds light on one of the most commented particularities of the country. An unusual place and a reflection of a bold society, the Cannabis Museum is a fine stop of the discovery of Montevideo.

What to see

Here you discover a museum unique in Latin America, opened in December 2016, that retraces the history of the plant through the ages and its multiple uses, industrial, textile, medical and recreational; it sheds light above all on the pioneering policy of Uruguay, first country in the world to have legalised in 2013 the whole cannabis sector to fight against drug trafficking, under the presidency of José Mujica. The Cannabis Museum is a curiosity of Montevideo. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Cannabis Museum lies in Montevideo, reachable on foot. The opening hours and the conditions of entry follow those of the establishment, which vary; it is best to enquire before coming. It is a documentary place that sheds light on a singular societal choice of Uruguay.

Why is there a Cannabis Museum in Montevideo?

Because Uruguay became in 2013 the first country in the world to fully legalise the cannabis sector, from production to recreational consumption, under the presidency of José Mujica, to fight against drug trafficking; opened in December 2016, this museum, the first of the kind in Latin America, retraces the history of the plant and the path of this pioneering law.

Where is the Cannabis Museum in Montevideo?

In Montevideo, in Uruguay.