Colombia: Adult-use cannabis bill saved in Senate

The first commission of the Senate has approved on Tuesday afternoon a constitutional reform that legalizes the recreational cannabis market in Colombia. With 15 votes in favor, including some of the opposition congressmen, and only 4 against, the bill led by House representative Juan Carlos Losada will now have to pass the last test in the Senate plenary, scheduled for next week.

The constitutional reform, which has had the support of the government of Gustavo Petro, seeks to modify article 49 of the constitution and decriminalize the purchase and sale of cannabis. The proposal defended by the senator of the Historical Pact, María José Pizarro, had the support of the senators of the coalition parties, the Liberal Party, and even of the three opposing senators of Cambio Radical. The only negative votes were those of the Democratic Center, the Conservative Party, and Senator Jota P Hernández of the Green Party.

Senator Pizarro celebrated the decision. "We approved in the first commission of the Senate in the 7th debate the regularization of cannabis for adult use. We are one step away from the beginning to address the failed fight against drugs in Colombia in a different way. "The last discussion will take place before June 20 in the Senate Plenary," he wrote on his Twitter account.

Representative Losada explained the most important characteristics of the project: "This constitutional reform seeks to allow Colombia to have a legal cannabis market. Since 1986 it has been legal to carry and consume a personal dose, which is up to 20 grams, and it is also legal to grow up to 20 plants per person. What sense can it make that in a country where it is legal to consume, carry and grow, it is illegal to sell and buy cannabis? It is an absurdity that has pushed consumers to buy from criminal networks," said Losada.

Source (in Spanish): www.elpais.com

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Colombia: Adult-use cannabis bill saved in Senate