Costa Rica legalizes medicinal cannabis, but recreational cannabis is still banned

By Jelena Martinovic

Costa Rica legalized medical marijuana this week after President Carlos Alvarado signed legislation passed by Congress a day earlier.

Under the new law, hemp cultivation and industrial production will also be legalized. However, recreational marijuana use remains banned, the Associate Press reported.

Photo by Adrian Eriksson via Unsplash

RELATED: International cannabis sales projected to reach $35 billion

A previous law that would have legalized the plant was rejected by the president earlier this year, prompting lawmakers to make changes requested by President Alvarado, who has been very open about his opposition to the measure, citing specific grievances after saying “partially vetoed”. it.

According to The Tico Times, parts of the bill that the president wanted changed included the language around self-consumption and home-growing, as these areas could undermine the “legitimate” goals of the bill and pose a risk to public safety.

Now that he has signed the law, Alvarado emphasized that the new law will help those who need cannabis to treat the symptoms of their diseases and will boost development in rural areas where hemp is grown.

However, the President took these steps just as his term is coming to an end.

Two presidential candidates, José María Figueres and Rodrigo Chaves, who will face off in a runoff on April 3, are both known for supporting the legalization of recreational cannabis.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.