Will medical cannabis soon be legal in El Salvador?

In mid-July, a Salvadoran legislator presented a bill of law to legalize cannabis for medical use. The bill also provides for the legalization of domestic production, and imports for this purpose. The bill was drafted by deputy Francis Zablah, who, like the recently elected president, is a member of the Grand Alliance for National Unity, a conservative party founded in 2010.

The law is based on foreign legalizations. According to the proposed text, «in other countries, it has been proven that the cannabis plant contains molecules that can be useful in treating a wide variety of illnesses and symptoms». As a result, «more and more countries continue to legalize its medical and therapeutic use».

However, the Legislative Assembly's Security Committee is awaiting recommendations from the Ministry of Justice and Security, as well as the National Drug Commission, before moving forward with the bill.

Should the project become law, patients would be required to obtain a special medical prescription and register with the National Drug Directorate. Once registered, El Salvador's Ministry of Health would grant patients a one-year license. Researchers, manufacturers and distributors would also be required to register in a national file.

Quantity regulations are unclear at present, as the bill does not specify authorized quantities of cannabis for any consumer, although it does indicate only «quantities necessary» for «scientific research, drug development, medical treatment or the manufacture of industrial products».

Nor does the bill mention specific diseases, although the report acknowledges that «the cannabidiol has effects anti-inflammatories, analgesics, antipsychotics, anti-ischemics, anxiolytics and anti-epileptics».»