Colombian president signs decree to legalise medical marijuana

New rules on growing and sale are ‘major step’ in fight against illnesses, President Santos said, as country shifts away from US-backed drug policies
The Guardian / AP (UK)
Tuesday, December 22, 2015

marihuana-medicinal2Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos has signed a decree legalizing the growing and sale of marijuana for medical purposes, a dramatic shift in a country long identified with US-backed policies to stamp out drug crops. Santos said the new regulatory framework was long overdue given that Colombians had been consuming marijuana and marijuana-based products in a legal void for years. The new rules only apply for medical and scientific purposes, not recreational use.