No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsGlobalPuerto Rico authorizes medical marijuana

Puerto Rico authorizes medical marijuana

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico’s Governor Alejandro García Padilla has authorized the use of marijuana for medicinal use, in a surprise move after Puerto Rico’s legislature failed to act on the issue.

García Padilla signed the decree late Sunday, instructing his health secretary to work out the details of its implementation.

The measure will clear the way for suppliers to begin making medicines derived from marijuana as early as August, Health Secretary Ana Rius Armendariz said.

The governor provided few details of the plan, but smoking marijuana will continue to be banned.

Rius Armendariz said regulations must now be drawn up governing how cannabis will be dispensed, who will have the right to produce it and what diagnoses will be required for treatment with marijuana-derived products.

The governor cited U.S. studies that have found that cannabis can relieve pain caused by multiple sclerosis, AIDs, glaucoma, Alzheimer’s, migraines and other diseases that sometimes resist traditional treatment.

The move follows a trend in the United States, where 24 of 50 states plus the District of Columbia allow the use of medical marijuana.

It drew criticism from some members of Puerto Rico’s legislature, where medicinal marijuana legislation had failed to win passage.

García Padilla warned last week he intended to rule by decree to circumvent the legislature, after it defeated his proposal for a 16 percent value-added tax.

Trending Now

Fan Violence in Latin American Football Spurs Debate on Security and Culture

Images of a fan jumping from the stands to escape a beating as bottles, rocks and seats fly through the air at a game...

San Jose Airport Achieves Top 5 Global Ranking in Passenger Experience

Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica's main gateway managed by AERIS, has earned the prestigious Level 5 Customer Experience certification from...

Costa Rica National Parks to Measure Tourism Impact

Costa Rica will now be able to measure the impact of tourism in its national parks, thanks to innovative environmental technology from The NeverRest...

Costa Rica Issues Green Weather Alert as Heavy Rains Expected

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) has declared a green weather alert across Costa Rica due to the expected increase in rainfall over the coming...

Former Costa Rican President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Faces Trial

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, who served as Costa Rica’s president from 1998 to 2002, returned to court on today, to face charges in the so-called...

Major Cocaine Seizure in Costa Rica’s South Highlights Ongoing Cartel Fight

Costa Rican police pulled off a big win against drug traffickers this Sunday, seizing over a ton of cocaine hidden in a tourism minibus...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica