Epsilon Strain Hits Big Uruguay Cannabis Market

Stephen Andrews
03 Feb 2025

The number of legal cannabis users in Uruguay is growing every year. According to official statistics, more than 102,000 Uruguayans now purchase and consume legal cannabis available through pharmacies and social clubs. Last year, Uruguay also introduced a new potent strain called Epsilon, so far the variety with the most THC in it. Pharmacies sold a total of 359 kilos in just two months after the strain launch.


In June 2012, Uruguayan President José “Pepe” Mujica announced his intention to legalize marijuana. Subsequently, Uruguay became the first country in the world to make this decision. Sales of legal cannabis in the South American country began on July 18, 2017. And the rest is history. 

There are three ways to obtain legal cannabis in Uruguay: purchase it in pharmacies, obtain it from clubs or cultivate at home. Either way you have to be registered with a government system that tracks the number of consumers and growers. The rule for pharmacy and club purchases is that users can take no more than 10 grams per week for a single person. 

In 2024, the number of legal marijuana buyers climbed to 102,156. The highly regulated legal cannabis market was boosted by the introduction of the so-called Epsilon strain, which has a THC content of 20% and it has been in great demand. 

Epsilon Is the Strongest Cannabis Strain to Arrive in Uruguay

The new strain Epsilon is higher in THC than other existing legal cannabis strains in Uruguay. Epsilon was launched in October. Over the following two months, a total of 359 kilos were sold in pharmacies, according to data provided by the Instituto de Regulación y Control del Cannabis (Cannabis Regulation and Control Institute).

Further according to the data, Uruguay currently has 74,583 registered cannabis users who supply marijuana from 40 authorized pharmacies in 12 (out of 19) departments of Uruguay. In addition, 15,796 people are members of one of the 460 cannabis clubs operating in the country. 11,597 people grow marijuana at home, which is solely for personal use. 

The first legal cannabis strain in Uruguay contained only 2% THC. It has since been followed by the release of several other stronger varieties, such as the Beta strain, which comes with 9% THC and the Gamma strain which has an average of 15% THC. 

Epsilon is a sativa-dominant hybrid and contains up to 20% THC as well as up to 1% CBD. Five grams of Epsilon cost 570 Uruguayan pesos (13 US dollars). The strain is intended for users who like to experience stronger effects from smoking marijuana and who often turn to the black market to look for strains that are more potent. 

Sales of other legal cannabis strains in Uruguay have also been going up. Between 2023 and 2024, interest for the Gamma variety grew ten-fold. A total of 2,254 kilos of the Gamma variety were sold in 2024, followed by 325 kilos of the Alpha variety and 240 kilos of the Beta variety. 

Total production of cannabis for legal sales in Uruguayan pharmacies increased from 2,188 kilos in 2023 to 3,375 kilos last year, while production for clubs more than doubled between 2023 and 2024; 1,923 kilos were produced in 2023 and 4,143 kilos in 2024. 

The primary purpose for introducing more potent cannabis strains in Uruguay is to combat illicit drug dealers. It’s believed that the black market has been subdued by half following legalization. 

Also read on Soft Secrets:

S
Stephen Andrews