Gustavo Petro says growing without a licence will make Colombia a competitive country in the international cannabis market.
Gustavo Petro, who was recently elected as Colombia’s president, has said that he wants the country to become a leader in the legal cannabis industry. The country is currently one of the largest legal exporters of the plant in the world, with $1.5bn in flowers exported in 2021.
Now, in the opening of a debate in the city of Cali on the legalisation of cannabis, Petro has suggested that Colombian citizens will be able to grow cannabis without a licence, as is done with other foods, reports The Cannareporter.
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Prior to his election win, Gustavo Petro was quoted stating: “The possibility of exportation of marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes is the right of the Colombian people. It would be a historical paradox that after the war on drugs is over, other countries get to benefit from a business that will bring billions of dollars of economic benefit.”
According to the publication, Petro argued that allowing citizens to cultivate the plant without a licence, as they do with corn, highlighting the high cost of entry into cannabis production.
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Petro stated that cultivating without a licence could have a number of positive impacts, including the reduction of violence and prison inmates – suggesting that legalisation should see those convicted on cannabis charges released from prison.
The suggestion is also based on potential revenues that Colombia could generate from the industry.
The Cannareporter quoted Petro’s remarks at the debate: “If we want governments in the Andes area, where cannabis is produced (Corinto, Miranda), to maintain a regional dialogue, we have to talk.
“What happens if cannabis is legalised in Colombia without licenses, as is currently done to plant corn, potatoes and see if it is a product that can be exported and we earn a few dollars?
“Will the Canadian multinationals keep the cultivation dollars or will the local cannabis growers?”
Cannabis for personal use is currently decriminalised in Colombia while medical cannabis was legalised in 2015, however, a draft law that would allow for recreational cannabis use has been presented by Senator Gustavo Bolivar.
The bill would allow for the regulation the cultivation, production, supply, storage, access and use of cannabis, reports The Cannareporter, which highlights that the bill would see the Ministry of Health overseeing the regulatory mechanisms that would enable people to access the plant “in a safe, informed manner and outside the public safety and health risks that represent the link with the market.”
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