LIMA – Peru’s congress late Thursday overwhelmingly approved a measure supported by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski that legalizes marijuana for medicinal use.
The vote won in a landslide with a 68-5 vote in favor of allowing oil from the plant to be produced, imported and commercialized.
Chilean pharmacies start selling marijuana medicine
The proposal at first was controversial because of the thriving illegal drug trade: Peru is the world’s second largest producer of coca leaves – the source plant for cocaine – and some worried that drug gangs would branch into the marijuana business.
Proponents emphasized however that the measure is aimed at extracting components from marijuana to address specific ailments.
Argentina Legalizes Medical Marijuana
The Kuczynski administration proposed legalizing medicinal marijuana in February, after police busted a home lab and arrested a group of parents who were distilling cannabis oil for children ill with cancer and severe cases of epilepsy.
Uruguay becomes world’s first country to allow pharmacies sell marijuana
In 2013 Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize pot from production to sale. The drug is sold only to people who have officially registered with a licensed pharmacy, and with a monthly limit of 40 grams.
Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Argentina have since authorized the cultivation and consumption of marijuana for medicinal and scientific purposes.
