1. What the law is
Uruguay leaves the quantity to the judge, for psilocybin as for any other drug. Article 31 of Decreto-Ley 14.294, in the wording given by Ley 19.889 of 2020, exempts from liability anyone who transports, holds, is depositary of, stores or possesses a quantity destined for personal consumption: 'Quedara exento de responsabilidad el que transportare, tuviere en su poder, fuere depositario, almacenare o poseyere una cantidad destinada a su consumo personal, lo que sera valorado por el juez conforme a las reglas de la sana critica.' The one number in the article, forty grams, applies to marijuana and to nothing else. Producing, selling or supplying psilocybin still carries two to twelve years, and there is no legal supply route or regulated access program.
2. History
The legal events behind this entry, dated and oldest first. Our own reviews and corrections are listed under Changes to this record.
Decriminalized status takes effect.
3. Proposed laws
No proposed law is on file in Uruguay that would change this entry, as of the 16 Aug 2026 review.
4. Common questions
Is psilocybin legal in Uruguay?
Psilocybin is decriminalized in Uruguay.
Are magic mushrooms ("shrooms") legal in Uruguay?
"Magic mushrooms" and "shrooms" are common names for fungi that contain psilocybin, and this entry states the law on psilocybin itself, which some laws treat separately from the fungus. Psilocybin is decriminalized in Uruguay.
Read the law
Decreto-Ley 14.294 (1974), art. 31, current wording given by Ley 19.889 of 9 July 2020, art. 68 (earlier wordings: Ley 19.513 of 14 July 2017 art. 13, Ley 19.172 of 20 December 2013 art. 7, Ley 17.016 of 22 October 1998 art. 3): unauthorised import, export, transit, distribution, transport, storage, possession not for one's own consumption, offering for sale or dealing in the substances referred to in art. 30 carries two to twelve years' penitentiary, rising to three to twelve where committed by an organised criminal group. The second paragraph exempts from liability a person who transports, holds, is depositary of, stores or possesses a quantity destined for personal consumption, assessed by the judge under the rules of sana critica. The article's only numeric threshold is forty grams of marijuana, which does not extend to other substances; production, sale and supply remain criminal.1
Sources
This entry's status is checked against the primary sources below, and the methodology explains how each entry is graded for confidence.
- 1.impo.com.uy (opens in new tab) · impo.com.uy
- 2.tni.org (opens in new tab) · tni.org
This entry is for information only and is not legal or medical advice. Laws change, and enforcement can differ from the letter of the law, so check the current position against the primary sources above before relying on it.
Changes to this record
2 changes on file, the latest on . Show allHide
Every change we have made to this record, dated, corrections included. Nothing changes silently.
Uruguay's entry credited the wrong law with the current wording of the drug-possession article; it was last rewritten in 2020, not 1998. The entry now also records the penalty range and notes that the article's only quantity limit applies to marijuana. The status is unchanged.
Uruguay had been recorded as legal, which overstated it. Personal-use possession is exempt from liability under article 31 of Decreto-Ley 14.294, but sale and production are still crimes, so the status moves to decriminalized.
Psilocybin Media Group. "Uruguay: psilocybin legal status." The Psilocybin Record, accession UY-001, version of 23 Aug 2026. https://psilocybinlegalization.com/record/uruguay