Costa Rica: all that's missing is the President's signature to legalize medical cannabis

In a second and final vote last Thursday, the Costa Rican Congress approved the legalization of medical marijuana and industrial hemp. The text now awaits the signature of the country's president, Carlos Alvarado, who recently expressed doubts.

By a vote of 29 for and 10 against, with 39 of the 57 members of the Legislative Assembly present, the Medical and Therapeutic Cannabis and Hemp for Food and Industrial Use Act was approved.

Ley que permite cultivo del cannabis para uso medicinal recibe segundo debatehttps://t.co/lz6eZ94Stl pic.twitter.com/Sx8mU6h3ZF

- Asamblea Legislativa (@asambleacr) January 13, 2022

The next step is for President Alvarado to sign the law into law, but there is a possibility of a veto or partial veto, as the Ministry of Health has expressed doubts about certain points of the law. The main challenge to this initiative from the Ministry of Health during the discussion process was that it allows the self-cultivation of people diagnosed as patients.

The deputies behind the law urged the president to to respect the decision of Congress and ratify the initiative. On January 10, Carlos Alvarado said that once the law had been passed, he would «examine the final text» with Ministry of Health authorities «before making a decision».

The law will enable Costa Rican authorities to grant licenses for the production and industrialization of cannabis for medical or therapeutic purposes. In addition, the law declares free the cultivation, production, industrialization and marketing of hemp or non-psychoactive cannabis and its products or by-products, for food and industrial purposes, without prior special or additional authorization from the authorities.