Colombia close to legalizing marijuana for medicinal use
The Colombian government has created a decree to regulate cannabis for medicinal use. This decree has been signed by the Ministries of Health, Justice, and Agriculture, and only awaits the president's signature to become law.
The decree establishes regulations for the possession, cultivation of seeds and plants, production processes, export, distribution, trade and use of marijuana and its derivatives intended exclusively for medicinal and scientific uses.
This regulation could apply to people with Colombian nationality or foreigners residing in Colombia, with a license granted by the State.
There is also a bill to regulate the use of marijuana, but it is not progressing in Congress due to a lack of interest from parliamentarians.
Medical marijuana is already a reality in countries like the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, the Czech Republic, Uruguay, Israel, and Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, it is being discussed in Chile and Brazil, and clinical trials are already underway at the University of La Plata in Argentina.
In Colombia, the Cultivando Esperanza Foundation has fought for the legalization of cannabis use for the alternative treatment of patients with refractory epilepsy.
Yesid Reyes, Minister of Justice, declared that the decree would legalize the production of creams, oils, and ointments made from marijuana, and would also open the possibility of exporting them to countries where their sale is authorized.
According to government estimates, this trade could mean an income of at least two billion dollars annually over the next five years.
Fountain: The Country