Can you imagine buying medicinal cannabis products in a machine as if it were a food product or another type of consumption?That is what Jorge Dengo, deputy of the Progressive Liberal Party, proposes, who presented a bill to make products derived from medical marijuana and industrial hemp more accessible.
The proposal, among other things, frees people who wish to cultivate, produce, store, transport, industrialize and market the use of cannabis for medicinal and therapeutic use from red tape and bureaucracy; in addition to hemp for food and industrial use.
This is a change in the requirements established by law to obtain licenses.The law already allows the development of both industries, but the deputy intends to make the plant more accessible.
Aimed to reactivate the economy
“The proposal that we are presenting aims to reactivate the economy, simplify procedures and eliminate taxes on the commercialization of medicinal cannabis products, but also to benefit those who use products derived from this plant to treat themselves due to their ailments,” said Dengo.
On the other hand, the proposal seeks to bring Costa Rica closer to international practices and take advantage of this growing market to create new sources of employment.
“Specific licenses may be granted to market medicinal cannabis that would allow dispensaries of products with this function to be installed in the country,” added the legislator.
In addition, the initiative eliminates a surcharge of 1% of the Income Tax for natural or legal persons who wish to dedicate themselves to the commercialization of medicinal cannabis.
“There is no reason for an activity that is starting in the country to have a surtax before it begins to work or before it begins to have revenues, even more so when the products on which it falls seek the well-being and health of the people,” said the congressman.
The commercial exploitation of industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis will allow national farmers and exporters to access a world market of $14 billion a year by 2025, according to the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (Procomer).
Expanding global market
The medicinal use and production of cannabis and hemp is legal in more than 20 countries, with a pre-pandemic global market of 1 billion people.In this sense, Costa Rica can become a development pole and business cluster.
Cannabis would help reactivate the economy, generate employment, attract investment and, more importantly, provide alternative treatment to thousands of people with serious illnesses.Arthritis, asthma, cancer and chronic pain are some of the conditions that could be treated with medical cannabis.
As for hemp, supplements, food, beverages, industrial application products such as bioplastics and sustainable construction could be made, as well as dairy, bakery, seeds and snacks.
