Colombia approves marijuana legalization bill

Colombia appears to be the next country on the road to legalizing marijuana. On Tuesday, lawmakers passed a bill legalizing and regulating marijuana across the country, receiving near-unanimous support. It is a first step towards legalization.

The proposed ruling would lay the groundwork for legal cannabis sales and ensure that proceeds are distributed among communities and can support issues such as public health and education.

Photo by Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images

The proposal includes a breakdown of how legalizing cannabis would work and affect the country. In Spanish, the bill explains several things, makes it clear that the legal use of the drug is for people of legal age, and promotes a message that mirrors what the Colombian President has said since his election, namely the abolition of the criminal aspect in the to eliminate the drug connection and focus on harm reduction and public health.

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“With this piece of legislation, we will promote policies that benefit agriculture and we will implement tools to combat the illicit trade in marijuana, betting on public health and social growth,” the bill reads.

Last year, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro criticized the war on drugs and urged countries around the world to reconsider their stance on these substances.

“The war on drugs has lasted 40 years. If we don’t correct course and this continues for 40 years, 2.8 million people will die from drug overdoses in the United States,” Petro told the United Nations. “You will see millions of African Americans locked up in their private prisons.”

“I propose to you, as President of one of the most beautiful and bloodiest countries on earth, that you end the war on drugs and allow our people to live in peace.”

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Previously, Petro had spoken informally about legalizing marijuana and examining what benefits it could bring to the country. “Let’s see if we can make a few bucks by exporting cannabis because the drug is legal in parts of the world,” Petro said in a translation, per Noticias RCN. “Why can’t Cauca farmers grow cannabis?” he said, referring to a region in Colombia known for its prolific cultivation.

Petro has yet to issue any statements or statements of support for the bill approved on Tuesday.