Colombia: congressional committee approves cannabis legalization plan

The First Committee of the Colombian House of Representatives approved, in its first reading, a bill to legalize cannabis for adult use in Colombia.

Mr. Losada, the author of the bill, asked President Gustavo Petro to support his initiative. «Let them join this effort so that we can have a broad debate that will allow us to move forward with strong legislation regulating cannabis for adult use in Colombia, creating a legal cannabis market, and guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of citizens,» said the lawmaker.

Since this is a piece of legislation, the bill will have to go through seven more debates in Congress. The House has until December 16 to complete the three remaining debates of the first round.

If he fails to reach this 50 % approval rating by the end of the legislative session, The project will be put on hold.

However, Mr. Losada is optimistic: «We hope the bill can be passed during a plenary session of the House of Representatives. »The support our bill has received has been truly overwhelming, and we believe that under this new government—which is much more open, liberal, and progressive—this initiative will succeed and will finally allow for the regulation of cannabis for adult use in the country,” he said.

https://twitter.com/JuanKarloslos/status/1570128182078046210

For its author, Representative Juan Carlos Losada, this is a strong message that Congress is sending today, because, in his view, it makes no sense that the Colombians can grow and use cannabis, although both of these uses are decriminalized, they are not allowed to purchase it legally on a regulated market.

Among other things, the bill aims to amend Article 49 of the Constitution, which prohibits the possession and use of narcotic or psychotropic substances. More specifically, it would exempt adults who possess or use cannabis and its derivatives from this prohibition.

Similarly, if the bill is approved, it would entrust the government with the responsibility of paying special attention to consumers who have a problematic relationship with narcotic or psychotropic substances. The government would therefore be required to develop «ongoing prevention campaigns targeting drug and narcotic use and their harmful effects, for the benefit of users,» the proposal states.

According to Representative Losada: «It is only through regulation that we will be able to tackle the crime problem caused by lawlessness; it is only through regulation that we will be able to confront the war machine of the Jíbaros and drug traffickers. This project is not a favor to drug traffickers; on the contrary, the favor is to maintain the cannabis prohibition, »The profit lies in the fact that the product being sold is illegal. That's where the drug trade comes in.".

Since 1994, the Constitutional Court has held that the possession and use of drugs are acts that occur in the exercise of the right to the free development of the personality and to personal autonomy, and that they should not be criminalized, in part because, in and of themselves, possession and use do not affect the rights of others (Ruling C-221 of 1994).