If the day before is removed, the idea of legalizing the planting, sale and consumption of recreational marijuana will only be achieved with an intense political negotiation by the government of Rodrigo Chaves with the deputies.
And it is that, for example, the New Republic caucus is already announcing an all-out war against this initiative, by using all the tools provided by the legislative regulation to oppose the plan.
Totally against
“It cannot be a good public policy to legalize a drug at a time when the country lives in insecurity, where most homicide cases have to do with drug trafficking and organized crime. It is not good at any time, much less right now,” said Fabricio Alvarado, head of the Nueva República faction.
On the other hand, Alejandro Pacheco and ÓscarIzquierdo, fraction leaders of the Social Christian Unity and National Liberation, respectively, are against it. In both cases, these are personal opinions, since the parties have not made a decision on the matter. However, their opposition could be a preamble to what will happen to them.
“We have heard that in terms of health, the legalization of recreational cannabis causes serious problems for the CCSS, in addition to more addiction to drugs and diseases. I also think that a door is opened for young people to start using drugs. On the other hand, the arguments used by supporters of the idea are poor,” said Izquierdo.
The Verdiblanco legislator is not convinced by the possibility that legalizing marijuana will reduce the impact of crime and drug trafficking, by taking the business of selling this drug out of their hands, as the president defended when presenting the initiative.However, the redjiazul affirmed that for him marijuana “is the gateway to other more powerful drugs.”
Convinced with valuable arguments
Meanwhile, Pilar Cisneros, head of the pro-government Social Progress faction, hopes that when the time comes for the debate, all parties can be convinced with arguments about the importance of approving this law.
The government bench would have the support of the Broad Front and the Progressive Liberal Party; However, neither could it be said that the votes of these three parties are secure and, furthermore, that with that support the initiative would be approved.
And it is that in the ranks of the ruling party there would also be reluctance, since, for example, Ada Muñoz requests that there be a strengthening of the IAFA and other institutions that guard against addictions, before thinking about legalization.
Additional income
“If we manage to regulate the consumption of marijuana, a tax could be collected that would remain in the hands of the State and not in the hands of drug traffickers. Part of that money would be used for treatment and education, so people don’t use that drug, just like they do with cigarettes. We want to take away from the drug traffickers the great business of cannabis, which they use to buy weapons, threaten the population and commit hitmen. If we approve the use of marijuana, this is all over,” Cisneros said.Being in extraordinary sessions, the progress of this initiative will depend on the proposals that Chaves makes to Congress.
