Costa Rica approves medical marijuana bill

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Costa Rica passed a bill that would legalize medical marijuana and the cultivation of hemp for industrial purposes, following three years of talks and a presidential veto on an earlier version of the initiative.

Legislators from Costa Rica's ruling party and several opposition groups signed off on the bill, which President Carlos Alvarado applauded as being "of great benefit to Costa Rica."

Alvarado highlighted that the new law will advance the rights to health for those who need cannabis to alleviate the effects of their illnesses and spur economic development in rural areas where hemp will be grown.

The bill requires medical cannabis producers to register with health institutions and submit to reviews by the Costa Rican Drug Institute (ICD).

The law is similar in allowing medicinal use to laws passed in other countries in the region, including: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Uruguay also legalized recreational use.

Source: Reuters and The Washington Post