Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has signed legislation into law regulating the licensed production and exportation of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Under the new policy, those seeking to grow medicinal cannabis commercially or manufacturer cannabis-based medicinal products may apply with government agencies for licensure. Regulators will also grant permits to those seeking to export medicinal cannabis products out of the country.
Santos said that the goal of the policy “is for patients to be able to access medications made in Colombia that are safe, high-quality and accessible. It is also an opportunity to promote scientific research in our country.”
While existing law allows for the personal possession and cultivation of cannabis, the plant’s commercial production, manufacture, and sale had not been permitted.
Federally licensed medical marijuana production and distribution is presently permitted in Canada, Israel, and the Netherlands.
In 2013, Uruguay officials approved legislation authorizing the retail production and sale of cannabis to those age 18 and older. Consumers in that country are anticipated to be able to begin purchasing cannabis at state-licensed pharmacies by mid-2016.
“In a nationally televised address, Santos announced it would be fully legal to grow, process, import and export cannabis and its derivatives for medical and scientific use.”
Colombia has it right. They call the plant cannabis!
Sí señor! Asi se hace!
Adelante Legalización!
Acaba la prohibición!
So all the powerful talks from the OAS to the Summit of the Americas are finally paying off with real action. This is a landmark step for drug policy in the United Nations. After years of the US trying to take credit for “winning the drug war” in Colombia, I think former DEA diector Michelle Leonhart getting busted with Colombian cartels having sex orgies (while checking weapons and briefcases with fed up hotel managers) combined with this announcement to legalize medical marijuana in Colombia pretty much says it all;
Legalization is coming whether the DEA cartel or the unconstitutional CSAct likes it or not.
Felizidades Colombia!
Boy, that didn’t take long;
Check this out;
https://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2015/12/fda-issues-marijuana-rescheduling-recommendation-to-dea/
Subsequent to Colombia’s announcement, related or not, The FDA just sent recommendation to the DEA to resechedule marijuana.
I’m suprised not to read anything about the recent US Solicitor General’s View brief, submitted to SCOTUS, recommending denial of leave on the “Nebraska v Colorado” request for leave on Nebraska’s request to file an origional action.
Add to that, The USAG has advised all local and state LE’s that the “Equitable Sharing” program is being suspended imediately.
That said, It is not suprising to see these South American countries ahead of the US on origional thought on cannabis policy.
@Julian: The link you provided does not actually say what the FDA is recommending,only that their recommendation has been made to DEA. This is probably the same old from FDA and HHS, where they cite antiquated studies and nonsensical hypotheses to continue to support keeping marijuana a Schedule 1 substance. Next time you cite a source to support a statement you make, please be sure to read the information so that you understand correctly. Otherwise you are misleading people, although I know it was unintended.
@Julian: (the first paragraph from the link you shared; the headline is extremely misleading) “Top federal health officials recently told the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ***whether marijuana should be reclassified*** under federal law, a document obtained by Marijuana.com reveals, but**** it is not yet known what that recommendation entails.”****
@Brenton,
You are correct, that was one of several misleading articles that are hyping up yet another likely disappointing denial of petition from the DEA. Thank you for the constructive criticism.
Between Obama passing the buck to Congress and the DEA’s notorious conflict of interest, rescheduling is more likely to be accomplished legislatively than administratively following elections next year.
But the confusion over the issue of petition and the famous “leak” to representative Bleumenhower has caused me to dig up this flow chart from the Brookings Institution on how to re or deschedule under the CSAct:
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Blogs/FixGov/2015/johnflowchart-(2).jpg?la=en
Notice from this flow chart that administratively, Attorney General Loretta Lynch plays a large role in the petition process to reschedule or deschedule. Interestingly, It shows the Attorney General having the last word, not the DEA. (Hopefully the Brookings Institute is not serving me another wild goose stuffed with cowpaddies; but then again that’s what the CSAct reads like…) The DEA has denied all previous petitions. As for Lynch, she won a big case as NYDA against a woman growing marijuana out of her apartment years back. But Lynch is also a champion of African American civil rights cases, and surely cannot turn a blind eye at the injustice of the CSAct and disproportionate incarceration. This is where legacy and many of Dave Evans’ posts here on “narcissistic” and “compulsive” behavior from our leadership comes into play because Obama’s legacy is at stake. Is pardoning 90 prisoners, reducing mandatory minimums and taking the DHHS out of the process of FDA approved marijuana research enough for Obama’s insatiable self conern for his own legacy? How will history judge him? How will his own daughter’s judge him?
Regardless, Dr. Sisley’s FDA approved research on marijuana, veterans and PTSD combined with the slap in the face the UNODC just received from Colombia by legalizing medical marijuana is leaving a mark:
“812(b) Placement on schedules; findings required
Except where control is required by United States obligations under an international treaty, convention, or protocol, in effect on October 27, 1970, and except in the case of an immediate precursor, a drug or other substance may not be placed in any schedule unless the findings required for such schedule are made with respect to such drug or other substance. The findings required for each of the schedules are as follows:”
Schedule 1 (c) “tetrahydrocannabinol” is defined under the CSAct as a “hallucinogen.”
Does that mean all we have to do is prove that the rest of the world is Legalizing non-hallucinogenic marijuana and its the DOJ thats hallucinating? Does Colombia’s action mean not only the disintegration of international drug treaties, but the collapse of DEA-cartel and Colombian Cartel collusion?
The CSAct has everybody chasing their own tails while Congress, the culprits responsible for this mess, gets slowly pressured into action.
Its like watching all of the key players of prohibition getting lined up and forced into a batting cage while the evidence just keeps shooting out the ball feeder. Good work Colombia! Good work NORML!
Hopefully, with this increased acceptance and understanding,the Columbians can preserve their indigenous landrace strains from extinction,prevent cross pollination with the Indica- hybrids,in order to keep the famed Columbian red and gold lines pure, for future production and import–LEGAL importation.
Some people like that Columbian full- bodied flavor and richness,and I’m not talking about the Coffee.
Even though the coffee isn’t that bad either!
I agree entirely. Instead of strain hunting in the jungle without an indian scout the legal medical industry in Colombia will seed bank their famous strains. Im hoping the same goes for Mexico. But it’s going to take a consumer-activist Colombian NORML to keep seeds viable and available.
Well since I blog-hogged another article this next post wont hurt;
Apparently the DEA-cartel was protected by a federal judge a week after former DEA director Michelle Leonhart resigned last May from being busted having Colombian sex parties (no pun intended… Cant make this stuff up) Here it is from the Huffington Post;
We’ve got one “you can’t make this stuff up” horror story from the War On Drugs, and then we’ll get to the atheists and Satanists. In a story that aptly begins with the line “The drug war means never having to say you’re sorry,” it was revealed that a federal judge agreed with the Drug Enforcement Agency that the government is not liable for one thin dime in damages, even though they acted abominably. A D.E.A. undercover informant essentially stole a truck from a small (two trucks, total) trucking company, drove it down to the border for a drug sting, loaded it up with drugs, and then got caught in a shootout that killed him. The trucking company sued but will not even be reimbursed for the “cost of repairing the bullet holes” in the truck, which was out of commission for two months. Not only does the D.E.A. get off scot-free, but there won’t even be a trial which would expose all the facts of the case. Your tax dollars at work, folks! The article ends with:
It’s interesting that this ruling comes down a week after D.E.A. administrator Michele Leonhart resigned after allegations that D.E.A. attended cartel-funded sex parties in South America. The D.E.A. took a truck, filled it with drugs, then screwed up and put the truck in the middle of a shootout that damaged the truck and killed its driver. Yet Leonhart was forced to resign because of sex parties.
It isn’t the illicit stuff the D.E.A. does that should worry us; it’s all the horrific stuff the agency does that we’ve somehow permitted to be protected by law.
Amen to that.
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