The Government of Costa Rica reported this past Wednesday that it released the regulation on hemp and medicinal cannabis for a period of five days for public consultation in order to receive comments.
The announcement was made by Rodrigo Chaves, President of the Republic, and Laura Bonilla, Minister of Agriculture, during the conference after the Governing Council.
According to Bonilla, this period was stipulated taking into account that no later than September 9th, the final regulation must be signed because that is the period established in the Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Law.
On the other hand, according to Chaves, the Law established high-cost licenses which will be modified through regulations. “They had to have very expensive licenses, some people told me that they are setting up the business for a group of influential businessmen,” he said.
“The licenses will not cost more than a symbolic amount and whoever wants to and can comply with the Law will be able to plant that product and will have the opportunity to process it,” continued Chaves.
On the issue of licenses, former deputy Paola Vega, who chaired the Environment Commission, a forum where this initiative was analyzed, contradicted what was stated by the president.
“He says that the approved law had very expensive licenses. That is not so, it was changed from the original text,” she stressed. “He also says that the Executive changed that. Fake. They cannot change an approved law”, Vega expanded.
Previously, the planning minister, Laura Fernández, was consulted about the regulations of the Public Employment Law. On that occasion, Fernández indicated that there is no power to change a law through regulations, which would go along the same lines as what was stated by the former legislator.
Recreational marijuana coming soon
On the other hand, Chaves reported that they will soon present the bill to allow recreational marijuana in the country. He reported that his office is preparing the initiative and has already reviewed the first draft. “We want to raise (present) before November 1st when the extraordinary period begins, but we will call it in extraordinary”, he stressed.
Chaves indicated that they will try to persuade the deputies about the importance of approving this initiative, beyond concerns about its consumption. The president’s speech pointed out that criminal groups are fattening their pockets without paying taxes.
“I know that there are very good people in this country who have doubts, who think that young people are going to become addicts, who have reasonable concerns about the impact of consuming active cannabis, marijuana in adolescence because it does impact the development of brain, but when one balances the scientific experience and experience of many countries (…) we consider that it is the best decision for the country”, he stressed. The president recalled that currently, marijuana is consumed openly without there being a payment of taxes involved.
