The number of Latin American countries that are studying to approve the legalization of medical marijuana continues to grow as Peru approves a bill that would allow for the legalization of medical marijuana. The bill allows for the use of marijuana in the treatment of diseases. It can be used to treat a variety of diseases, such as cancer, Parkinson’s and epilepsy.
Peru Latin America
The bill, which passed with 67 votes in favor, 3 abstentions and 5 votes against, will focus only on the extraction of the medical component and not the consumption of cannabis. All that remains to be done is for Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to approve the new law.
Peru is not the first in Latin America
Peru is certainly not the first country in Latin America to approve the legalization of marijuana, as it has been in use in the region for quite some time. Uruguay was actually the first country to approve the law in 2013. It allows the cultivation of marijuana for personal use. The country provides cultivation centers for cooperatives that participate in the program.
It spread from Uruguay to Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Argentina, all of which have passed their own laws on cannabis use and cultivation, not only for medical but also for scientific purposes.
What the law allows
The new law that will legalize cannabis for medical use in Peru will allow the importation, production and commercial sale of cannabis oil. Medical marijuana can only be purchased through licensed dispensaries.
As for the cultivation and production of medicinal marijuana, it will need to be approved by the executive branch and then go through an approval process with the National Institutes of Health and other agencies.
The new law was actually proposed by Peru’s president in February, when police were forced to arrest parents who were giving cannabis oil to children with severe epilepsy or cancer in their homes. Lawmaker Alberto de Belaunde is now calling for all charges against those arrested parents to be dropped.
Peru currently has an active illegal drug trade and is the second largest coca producer in the world. This move to legalize the production and commercial sale of marijuana is sure to have an impact on families.
Legalization spreading in northern Latin America?
Since the United States borders Mexico to the north, it has long been wondered if marijuana legalization will continue to spread and spread throughout the United States. Currently, only a handful of states allow medical marijuana, but that’s not to say it’s not a hot topic with plenty of debate.
However, with President Trump announcing his intention to build a border wall between Mexico and the United States in a bid to stem the inflow of illegal immigrants, and his belief that this will lead to the flow of illegal drugs into the country, full nationwide legalization may be years away at best. As a result, for now, there is no indication that the Latin American movement is spreading in the United States.
