Latin American Legislative Scenarios: Paraguay and Colombia
Paraguay advances in movements related to cannabis legalization and Colombia presents a bill aimed at regulating adult use of cannabis
By Sofia Missiato
The senator from the neighboring country, Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, opened an international conference on industrial cannabis last week. He highlights the possibility of opening new paths for the free production and commercialization of cannabis-based medicines and also advances the discussion on adult-use products.
During the conference, he cited Uruguay as an example, claiming that the law enacted in that country in 2013 allowed millions of dollars to be seized from drug trafficking. The goal is to prepare a regulatory proposal within a maximum of 90 days, which is a challenge for both public and private sectors.
The senator understands that there are various pressures in the country to hold this debate. He further argued that this issue should be viewed from an economic and social perspective, focusing on solidarity economy and health problems. Similarly, he mentioned that one of the objectives of this meeting is to advance with all sectors to generate employment and contribute to the economy of family farming.
Cannabis in the Colombian Congress
On July 20, Colombian deputies presented a bill that establishes the conditions for the commercialization of cannabis for adult use. The bill was filed by deputies Gustavo Bolívar, Aída Quilcué, Ermes Pete, Polivio Rosales, Norman Bañol, and Alejandro Ocampo and aims to establish a regulatory framework that prioritizes public health and provides solid conditions to protect small and medium producers, especially those in areas affected by armed conflict.
With the new discussion on the cannabis law, Congress is trying to solve the problems that medicinal regulation has, as the processes are costly and only large multinationals carry out the importation. In the country, any type of promotion of cannabis for adult use and its derivatives is prohibited, meaning they cannot be promoted on social media or in the media.
The leader of the Historical Pact wrote, along with the statement on his official Twitter account, the following: “A great peace is not possible without ending drug trafficking. The signatories propose the regulation of drugs, including cocaine.”
