Colombian Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Legalization Bill, Clearing First Hurdle Of Eight Debates

Adult-use cannabis legalization cleared its first hurdle in Colombia this week. A bill to “regularize” cannabis for adult use cleared the first of eight legislative debates, marking an important step in the path to reform.

The bill had previously made it all the way through committee the fell short when it reached the country’s Senate for a final vote during the last legislative session.

But, things have changed this week.

“Today…we start again a path full of challenges to start writing a new story in the fight against drugs. We need to move forward in a change in drug policy and our project of CannabisDeUsoAduto is the first step,” said Rep. Juan Carlos Losada, a sponsor of the bill in a Tweet that used a soccer field to illustrate the road to legalization.

Hoy en @ComisionPrimera iniciamos de nuevo un camino lleno de retos para empezar a escribir una nueva historia en la lucha contra las drogas. Necesitamos avanzar en un cambio en la política de drogas y nuestro proyecto de #CannabisDeUsoAduto es el primer paso.#RegularCannabisYA pic.twitter.com/qMYquqMsBW

— Juan Carlos Losada (@JuanKarloslos) August 29, 2023