Costa Rica: The Congress Made the First Step in Legalizing Medical Marijuana

The Congress of Costa Rica voted Tuesday on a bill that proposes to allow the cultivation and production of psychoactive cannabis for medicinal use. If signed into law, the bill would make Costa Rica yet another Latin-American country to make medical cannabis legal.

However, the initiative has still a long way to go since it faces strong opposition. The president of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, who is against it, may still veto the bill. In this case, the proponents of the reform will have to win the second round of the vote, this time with a qualifying majority.

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Long Time in the Making

Project 21.388 was first introduced more than two years ago and was advancing slowly due to strong opposition, most notably from President Alvarado as well as the current Health Minister. Nevertheless, it was approved after the first debate with 33 votes in favor and 13 votes against.

The author of the initiative is Zoila Volio, an independent lawmaker with a background in agricultural engineering. Volio told Reuters she didn’t believe that the passing of the bill would lead to an increase in recreational consumption in the country. She hoped that the president understood that and would put his stamp of approval on the bill.

Besides providing medical patients with easy access to cannabis and cannabis-based pharmaceuticals, the proposed law would also allow Costa Rica to join the huge global market of medical marijuana and industrial hemp.

A Much-Needed Boost to the Agricultural Sector

According to PROCOMER, a Costa-Rican regulator of exports, the global market for the industry is worth $5.7 billion per year. When seen in this light, the reform in the cannabis laws can be welcome news for local farmers.

The text of the bill specifically mentions the need for economic growth in rural communities. And the removal of restrictions on the cultivation of hemp for industrial uses and hemp seeds for food can mean a new source of revenue for small farmers. It can also lead to the creation of a whole new industry to process locally cultivated hemp and medical marijuana.