The bill to legalize cannabis in Colombia passed in the penultimate vote in the Senate on Tuesday, bringing the country one step closer to ending prohibition.
Deputy Juan Carlos Losada Vargas’ bill, approved by the House of Representatives last month, was approved by the Senate’s First Committee by a vote of 15 to 4. This is the seventh of eight votes needed for the proposal of constitutional amendment be forwarded to the President.
The next and final step is the Senate vote, which is expected to take place on June 16. If the bill passes, lawmakers will have less than a week to effect a bicameral reconciliation before the end of the session.
The legalization bill supports “the right to free personality development, allowing citizens to decide on cannabis consumption within a regulated legal framework.” And it mitigates “arbitrary, discriminatory or unequal treatment of the population that consumes”.
It also calls for public education campaigns and promotion of drug treatment services.
Last year, the House of Representatives gave initial approval to the legalization bill. The Home Secretary also came out in favor of the reform proposal at the time. The vote came shortly after a congressional committee pushed through that measure and another legalization bill.
President Gustavo Petro, a progressive who since taking office in August has vigorously advocated for an end to the criminalization of drugs internationally, spoke of the possible benefits of legalizing cannabis.
Last year, the president delivered a speech at a meeting of the United Nations (UN), urging member countries to radically change their approach to drug policy and end prohibition .
Mr. Petro also raised the possibility of legalizing cannabis in Colombia in order to reduce the influence of the illicit market. He also indicated that this change in policy should be followed by the release of those currently imprisoned for possession of cannabis.
He spoke of the economic potential of a legal cannabis industry, in which small towns in the Andes, Corinto and Miranda could benefit from legal cannabis cultivation, possibly without licensing requirements.
The president also indicated that he would be interested in the idea of exporting cannabis to other countries where the plant is legal.
Mr. Petro met the President of Mexico last year and the two men announced that they would bring together other Latin American leaders for an international conference aimed at “redefining and rethinking the politics of of drugs”, given the “failure” of prohibition. Mexican lawmakers are also seeking to legalize the drug domestically.
