Colombia to legalize commercial sale of medical marijuana

[Judi Lynn]

Colombia to legalize commercial sale of medical marijuana
Posted by Adriaan Alsema on Nov 12, 2015

Colombia’s justice minister said Thursday the country plans to legalize the cultivation and sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Minister Yesid Reyes made the announcement Thursday in an interview with Caracol Radio. Reyes says a government decree regarding the new regulations will apply only to medical and scientific uses of the drug.

The country’s congress has been debating the legalization of marijuana, with one leading coalition senator even proposing the full legalization of marijuana.

The news was a surprise in a country long identified with US-backed policies aimed at fighting the production of illicit drugs. The new policy would include Colombia in a wave of changing attitudes toward marijuana that has sparked recent legalization efforts from Mexico to Chile.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-to-legalize-commercial-sale-of-medical-marijuana/

LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141259793

[Judi Lynn]

1. Colombia to legalize medical marijuana under presidential decree

Colombia to legalize medical marijuana under presidential decree
Source: Reuters - Fri, 13 Nov 2015 21:45 GMT

BOGOTA, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Colombia said on Friday it plans to legalize medical marijuana in a further shift in drug policy after suspending aerial fumigation of illicit crops.

The government is preparing a decree which would approve the therapeutic use of marijuana, the president's office said in an information sheet, and President Juan Manuel Santos told BBC Mundo the decree would be signed in the coming days.

Growing, distributing and selling cannabis will remain illegal. The South American country suspended spraying of illicit crops this year, citing cancer concerns related to the herbicide glyphosate.

Current law allows possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana or 20 marijuana plants for personal use. A recent study showed 11.5 percent of Colombians have used marijuana at least once.

More:
http://www.trust.org/item/20151113214751-f3ioi/