QCOSTARICA – Legislators approved in second and final debate the partially vetoed bill that legalizes the production of cannabis for medicinal purposes and hemp for industrial use.
Two articles were removed from the text and one was modified to follow the recommendations made by president Carlos Alvarado when he vetoed it on January 13.
The final vote was 35 of the 57 legislators in favor.
“I celebrate the final approval of the Hemp and Cannabis Law after the veto. In this way, job opportunities and alternative treatments will be generated for many patients with chronic diseases,” said Silvia Hernández, president of the Legislature.
Independent legislator, Zoila Volio, spoke about the difficulty in advancing with this type of legislation.
For his part, the Partido Liberacion Nacional (PLN) legislator, Roberto Thompson, explained that the initiative improves the quality of life of many.
The bill now heads back to Casa Presidencial where President Carlos Alvarado must sign it.
The medicinal use and production of cannabis and hemp is legal in more than 20 countries, with a pre-pandemic global market of 1 billion people.