Costa Rica Lawmaker Presents Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill
On Monday, Citizen Action Party (PAC) lawmaker Marvin Atencio presented a bill aimed at legalizing cannabis for medical purposes.
The bill presented by Atencio is to regulate the cultivation, production and distribution of medical cannabis and hemp in the country. The 85-page bill would create a research institute, attached to the Ministry of Health, which would specialize in the study of medical cannabis. The institute would be responsible for granting licenses and permits and would be in charge of issuing prescription cards for patients.
Costa Rica’s Health Minister, Dr. Maria Elena Lopez, expressed her support of the bill, saying that the drug has been used for a range of therapeutic purposes.
“Several scientific studies have demonstrated the potential for cannabis to treat illnesses like AIDS, cancer, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. For the health of thousands of potential patients a law is needed that adequately regulates medical production and cultivation of the plant,” Atencio said.
Atencio emphasized that the bill would not legalize recreational use of the drug, and would be required to meet all other existing laws governing the use of cannabis in the country. Currently, patients who benefit from the curative properties of cannabis are looking to street drugs that are not regulated and contain high levels of THC that are not required for medical purposes.
Under the bill, patients would be able to receive a prescription from a doctor, and the drug would be covered by the Costa Rican Social Security System, or the Caja. All products would have a 7 percent tax rate. If approved, Atencio estimated that the bill could generate $20 million annually between the tax, licensing and concession fees that would go toward the Caja, the University of Costa Rica, the Public Works and Transport Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Institute.
A survey released in January from the University of Costa Rica found that 53 percent of individuals support legalization of cannabis for medical purposes.
Over the years, at least 15 bills aimed at legalizing the drug have been presented to the Assembly, with advocates arguing that cannabis can be used in the treatment of various diseases. However, in 2012, Costa Rica’s Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Enforcement said that such medical properties are unproven and claim that cannabis can be addictive and cause memory and learning difficulties.
If the bill passed, Costa Rica would become the first country in Central America to legalize cannabis for medical purposes.
Last updated: 8/12/13; 3:05pm EST
