Honduras ready to discuss cannabis legalization

By Bufete Mejía & Asociados

The First Vice President of Honduras, Salvador Nasralla, mentioned the possibility of legalizing the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use in the country, a proposal that was backed up by the President of the National Congress, Luis Redondo.

"It is a definitely a subject worthy to be discussed because in several countries this product is already conveniently used for medicinal purposes and allows for the creation of new jobs and new industries to get involved in the national economy”, Redondo said.

Cannabis in Honduras is currently illegal for possession, sale, transportation and cultivation.

The issue was brought up publicly by Nasralla, who mentioned favourable climatic conditions and regional neighbours Costa Rica and Panama as two countries to watch closely while they are already running and developing pro-cannabis legislations. He also highlighted foreign investments and the opportunity of opening up a modern export line of products as the biggest benefits Honduras may have by following countries and U.S states who are at the vanguard of drug policies.

After more than three years of legislative effort, Costa Rica has legalized hemp production and commercialization as well as cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. President Carlos Alvarado signed medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp legislation into law on March 2, 2022. The law will allow non-psychoactive cannabis to be produced for medicinal and therapeutic purposes as well as for food, feed, and industrial uses. Psychoactive cannabis (i.e., those materials with one percent or more THC content by dry weight) utilization will be restricted to medicinal and therapeutic purposes and require medical oversight.

On August 30, 2021, Panama’s National Legislative Assembly announced that it had approved a bill regulating the medicinal use of cannabis. The approved bill provides that Panama’s Ministry of Health (MOH) will have the authority to issue licenses (valid for 10 years and renewable) to manufacture and commercialize cannabis medicinal products, which will be subject to strict control systems.