Infographic: The differences between Uruguay, Colorado & Washington marijuana laws

With the opening of its first recreational marijuana outlets on July 8, Washington became the second state in the US to put into practice its cannabis regulatory framework. This follows Colorado's initiative which began on January 1 this year and has so far seen modest signs of success; tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales surpassed $10 million in the first four months of 2014, and a number of key crime indicators have fallen in urban areas -- though the latter is perhaps a tenuous link to the introduction of legal cannabis.

With two down, that leaves one to go; Uruguay. The South American state is the first ever country to legalize marijuana and the first sales are expected to take place either late this year, or early in 2015.

While much has been made of these three initiatives by both reformers and prohibitionists alike, they are by no means uniform in their approach.

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