Argentinian province of Entre Rios introduces new cannabis bill

The Argentinian province of Entre Rios has presented a bill to guarantee accessibility to cannabis for medical purposes to those patients who require it, while also promoting the self cultivation of the plant. In doing so, this province just became another one in a long list of Argentina’s regions who are opting for ending the stigmatization of cannabis and giving it a chance within the legal framework surrounding medical use.

The provincial deputy Néstor Loggio and his partner Silvia Moreno, accompanied by the entire delegation of the ruling party, presented a bill to guarantee accessibility to cannabis for medical and therapeutic purposes in Entre Ríos. The bill is in line with the new regulations of the law 27,350 proposed by the national government and promotes a new provincial adhesion.

The initiative aims to guarantee “safe and informed access to therapeutic and / or palliative cannabis and its derivatives, in order to guarantee and promote comprehensive health care for people who are told to use cannabis and its derivatives for medical, therapeutic or palliative purposes”.

The project authorizes the sowing, cultivation, transport, storage and production of cannabis and its derivatives, with medical recommendation for its therapeutic use, to all persons, human and legal, authorized by the initial measure.

If you want to know more about cannabis, how the province of Entre Rios has introduced a bill to guarantee accessibility to medical cannabis, and to find out the latest cannabis news, download the Hemp.im mobile application.

Entre Rios gives permission for self cultivation of cannabis

This authorization enables citizens to cultivate for themselves or for a third party beneficiary who proves a medical prescription. 

It also authorizes a number of other administrative or institutional entities to work within the parameters of the program including the provincial State, municipalities and communes; science and technology agencies dependent on other levels of government; public laboratories; public universities; research centers; civil associations; foundations; mutual and cooperatives linked to the matter. An extensive list that represents significant depth in the sector.

One piece of information to highlight is that the law empowers the provincial government to establish state companies or joint ventures to produce cannabis.

The authority for applying the standard will be the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Ministry of Production. Health must create a Provincial Registry of Medicinal Users and Growers and the Provincial Registry of Pharmacies. They will also have to grant the Certification of Access to Medicinal Cannabis (CACM) that will serve as proof.

A formal authorization will be needed to cultivate cannabis

All human persons, civil associations and foundations that cultivate for themselves or for a third beneficiary will have the right to request and receive an official certification from the Provincial State that validates the authorization of their cultivation of cannabis for therapeutic, medical or palliative purposes. 

For this, they will be required to present a medical recommendation for the medicinal, therapeutic or palliative use of cannabis and its derivatives. And there will also be an authorization to cultivate for a third party, who must prove a medical recommendation.

The initiative also considers the creation of different programs and entities

The initiative also includes the creation of the Entre Ríos Cannabis Access Program, as a framework for the drafting and design of public policies. The program would develop and implement promotional and prevention focused actions aimed at medicinal and therapeutic users. For example by creating a voluntary registry of health professionals trained in the use of medicinal, therapeutic and palliative cannabis, among other objectives.

In the same way, an Honorary Advisory Council will be instituted that aims to ensure compliance with the norm, made up of 19 representatives (with gender parity) from the Ministry of Health; the Institute of Food Control and Bromatology (ICAB); Regional Center of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA); of the Provincial Directorate of the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI); a representative of the Uner, the Uader and the UTN (three in total); one from Conicet; one from the Ministry of Government; one from the Secretariat of Science and Technology; two from the Chamber of Deputies and as many from the Senate (one from the opposition and another from the ruling party), four from civil society and a reference from the College of Pharmacists.

Argentina’s government should adapt to a new paradigm

Loggio and Moreno pointed out that, among the arguments to promote the project was the incessant social demand for a regulation of the national legislation that freely allows the self-cultivation of cannabis and its derivatives for therapeutic and medicinal purposes, such as the recognition of a wide range of health conditions.

They cited the existence of a large number of municipalities throughout the country that, through local ordinances, allow and enable the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes.

From this “arises the urgent need in our province to have a broad regulatory framework that satisfies the demands of the community in an effective, comprehensive and unrestricted manner”, stated Loggio and Moreno.

“People who use cannabis for medical purposes are in a situation of extreme vulnerability, being affected by a health condition, the lack of reliable information, derivatives of cannabis of doubtful origin and by criminalization by the State” , they later reviewed.

“The State must establish safe access to cannabis for medicinal, therapeutic or palliative purposes as a maxim, by allowing self-cultivation,” they argued, upholding the need for public authority to advance towards a new paradigm.

__

(Featured image by Jeff W via Unsplash)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Hemp.im, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.

First published in Pagina Politica, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Hemp.im assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Hemp.im is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.