As the deputies Manuel Morales, of the ruling party, and Gilberth Jiménez of the PLN had advanced, this Tuesday the Environment Commission rejected the substitute text of project 23,383: Law for the control and regulation of cannabis for recreational use. In addition, the substantive motions presented were rejected and the minority report against the project was approved.
Meanwhile, the majority report supporting the initiative was voted against. “The first opinion on cannabis was voted, there are two, where unfortunately all the substantive motions are rejected, including those suggested by those who are against the project”, said Morales, who does support the initiative. He, together with the PUSC, the Broad Front and the Progressive Liberal voted in favor and will take the negative report to the Plenary with the aim of having it approved.
It will be the other week that the project will be discussed and voted for in favor, but the cards are already cast between those who are against and those who are in favor. “We would have wanted it to be archived, however, the minority opinion would go to the Plenary, and we all know the procedure”, said Jiménez, president of the commission and who opposes the proposal.
Along with him, he was voted against by his PLN comrades and by the New Republic congressmen. “We would be talking with the deputies so that we come to our conscience and that the project does not become law”, added Jiménez, once it begins to be discussed in plenary.
The changes in question
Changes were sought to the original project through the rejected substitute text and substantive motions. Now, some fractions will try to do that via motions 137, which can be presented in the discussion in the Plenary.
Among the motions that were rejected was that of changing the name of the project so that it would be named “marijuana regularization for adult use”, as well as eliminating Costa Rica as a tourist destination for consumption.
Another of the motions sought to equate the existing regulation for the consumption of tobacco to that of marijuana and, thus, prohibit consumption in public places. “It would be left for the final ruling next Tuesday, where we do not have the votes, but the minority ruling will be made so that it goes up to the Plenary”, warned Morales, from the pro-government faction, in view of what is coming for the initiative, in the process legislative.
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