Some pretty interesting news rolled out of Colombia recently that’s got a lot of people excited, and it might just teach us a thing or two over here in the UK.
So, what’s the lowdown? Well, on May 8th, the Colombian Chamber of Representatives passed a cannabis legalization bill. Yeah, you read that right. Legal. Cannabis. In Colombia.
The vote was a solid 98-57, making it through the sixth of eight needed debates. We’re talking just two more debates away from this thing becoming a reality!
Juan Carlos Losada Vargas
The dude at the center of it all is Rep. Juan Carlos Losada Vargas.
Besides being the bill’s sponsor, he’s been really vocal about this shift from an old-school war on drugs to a more enlightened public health and prevention approach.
He even took to Twitter to share the good news and his vision.
Now, this isn’t some half-baked legislation. The bill aims to set up a system that would legalize cannabis for adults and for scientific purposes. It’s all about recognizing people’s rights to equality and personal freedom.
Plus, it’s putting a big focus on public education and substance abuse programs, and proposing a strategy to tackle illegal cannabis trafficking. Sounds like a win-win, right?
Vargas has been banging this drum for a while, penning pieces about the history of cannabis efforts in Colombia, and how regulation could save lives.
He’s delighted that they’ve made it past five debates, and he believes they’re on the brink of a new era in drug policy.
As we see countries like Colombia making progressive moves towards cannabis legislation, we have to ask ourselves, “What can we learn from this?”
Could we benefit from a shift in our own approach to cannabis?
The Colombian bill is now off to the Senate for the last two rounds of discussions. If it gets through, it’ll be passed to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who’s already shown some support for shaking up the War on Drugs.
This could be a game-changer for Colombia, and it’s definitely something we should be keeping an eye on in the UK.
As we see more and more countries rethink their stance on cannabis it is clear that we are being left behind.
