One year ago Uruguay shocked the international community by legalizing marijuana, much to the delight of marijuana advocates across the globe. There have been bumps along the way, and a fully implemented, regulated distribution system has yet become a reality. However, the policy change is still a success, and there has been a lot of implementation on the cultivation authorization end of things. Per Fox News:

One year after the cultivation and sale of marijuana became legal in Uruguay, the small South American country of 3.3 million people has 1,200 registered cannabis growers, the head of the National Drugs Board, Julio Calzada, said Monday. “It is encouraging to have 1,200 growers after three or four months since the law came into effect,” Calzada told reporters, adding the implementation of the law is progressing “on a clear path, carefully and under control.” Calzada estimated that “roughly 500” cannabis clubs have registered with the Institute for Regulation and Control of Cannabis. Each club is allowed up to 45 members and the cultivation of up to 99 marijuana plants.

It will be interesting to see how many growers are ultimately authorized in the future. I’m curious to see how many there are a year from now, five years from now, and ten years from now. I’m also interested to see how the ‘buy marijuana at a pharmacy’ approach works. I’d imagine most people will register with a cannabis club, but I guess only time will tell. If the pharmacy model works, I’d expect more countries to follow suit.