Costa Ricans may soon have access to medical cannabis after the nation’s Congress approved legislation that would authorize not only a medical cannabis program, but also the cultivation of industrial hemp.
Costa Rica’s Congress passed the bill March 1 after years of discussion and a presidential veto on an earlier version of the proposal, according to a Reuters report.
President Carlos Alvarado said the legislation is “of great benefit to Costa Rica” after legislators from Costa Rica’s ruling party and several opposition groups signed off on it in an effort to boost the country’s economy and reduce the illicit market, the news outlet reported.
The bill requires medical cannabis producers to register with health institutions and submit to reviews by the Costa Rican Drug Institute (ICD), according to Reuters.
Alvarado is expected to sign the legislation into law as early as this week, the news outlet reported.
