Colombia: Chamber approves bill regulating adult use of cannabis

Sechat Editorial

A new bill has received support from the Colombian Congress: the initiative that seeks to regulate the use of cannabis for adults was approved by the Chamber of Deputies, which met in plenary session at the end of October to discuss the initiative.

With 105 votes in favor and 33 against, the Bill was promoted by deputies Juan Carlos Losada and Carlos Ardila, and received support from the government coalition compared to the last legislative term, in which similar projects did not receive the necessary support for discussion.

The measure aims, in addition to eliminating the persecution and stigmatization of the adult population for the recreational consumption of this plant, to address the failure of drug policy, an issue that has been reiterated by President Gustavo Petro.

Another reason presented by the ministers for the approval of this project is that, with its entry into force, criminal profits would decrease, thus allowing for the legal trade of cannabis, the generation of jobs, and a boost in the economic reactivation of the cannabis sector that took its first steps after the legalization of the plant for medicinal purposes.

The regulation of Cannabis use, if it becomes a Law of the Republic, leading to respective debates, will allow for better spaces and conditions for the effective operation of public health in the country, taking into account the conditions and risks. Prohibition does not solve the problems of dependence (or problematic consumption) that require the typical attention of a public health incident.