Colombia is set to legalize marijuana production for medicinal or therapeutic use through a presidential decree at any time, says the country's health ministry on Thursday, Nov 12.
According to Alejandro Gaviria, health minister, President Juan Manuel Santos is going to affix his signature to a decree that many speculated would change its drug policy further. Currently, citizens are allowed to grow and use small amounts of cannabis without having to face any criminal charges.
Once the decree has been signed, producers can now grow cannabis for medical reasons. A number of recent studies have shown that marijuana can treat certain brain-related disorders including epilepsy and traumatic brain injuries. It can also reduce chronic pain and nausea. A few days ago, more than 45 people, some of whom were veterans, marched in Washington DC and threw empty bottles of pills near the White House to protest against discrimination of cannabis access. They are also urging President Barack Obama to support the Equal Access Amendment, which will allow doctors to recommend marijuana for treatment on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to them.
Although it's unclear what the limits of the production will be, a significant provision of the decree will involve the issuance of an export license from the National Council on Drugs, which will allow growers to sell cannabis to countries where the consumption of psychoactive drug is also legal such as the Netherlands and Uruguay. According to reports, many companies including foreign owned have already expressed interest in taking advantage of the upcoming decree.
The presidential decree doesn't cover other types of growing, distributing, and consumption of marijuana.
Political pundits have been paying attention to the adopted drug strategies of President Santos in the country, which has been plagued by a narcotics industry that was worth $10 billion in 2011. In May 2015, against the advice of its biggest ally against war on drugs the United States, the country has stopped its aerial fumigation of coca plants due to a released report from World Health Organization that the herbicide glyphosphate may be carcinogenic. However, they are planning to resume it once they have created a less-toxic chemical.