Argentina works to decriminalize (or even legalize) cannabis

The Argentine government is closely examining the decriminalization of the use and personal cultivation of Cannabis. The project is still in the preliminary stages at the Argentine Ministry of Security, where «regulations in certain countries» are being reviewed in order to draft a bill based on experiences in other countries.

Once this initial draft is finalized, it will be presented to other ministries, associations, and organizations to «bring more stakeholders into the discussion.».

The bill could authorize a maximum amount of cannabis possession for personal use by adults over the age of 18 or 21, and the same for personal cultivation, although it is not yet clear whether the limit would be based on the number of plants or the size of the growing area. The bill could go beyond decriminalization and also authorize cannabis clubs and state-regulated distribution.

A campaign theme

The decriminalization of cannabis was an issue during the campaign for the recent elections on October 27, in which Alberto Fernández defeated former President Mauricio Macri. Fernández called into question the previous administration’s policies, ensuring that the fight against drug trafficking had been a failure and that the solution was not to «go after casual users.».

This view is shared at the highest levels of the government, with Security Minister Sabina Frederic and Health Minister Ginés González agreeing with this assessment.

Neighboring Countries as a Model

A country bordering Argentina, the UUruguay legalized cannabis in 2013. Cannabis is available there through three channels: pharmacies, personal cultivation, and cannabis clubs, with a focus on eliminating the black market as much as possible, particularly by offering very low prices.

In Chile, a The bill aims to legalize personal cultivation, in particular to address the very high prices of medical cannabis, which was legalized in the country in 2015. For now, the bill remains stalled in the Senate. Colombia and Peru had less difficulty legalizing medical use, with Colombia even throwing open its doors to foreign investment and currently considering legalizing cannabis.

The most recent development in Argentina took place in 2017 when the government authorized the use of cannabis for certain chronic conditions, as well as its production for scientific purposes.