Cannabis and CBD legalization is constantly shifting across the world. Argentina, a traditionally conservative country when it comes to drug laws, is starting to change its approach to cannabis, and CBD may be one of the first to pass through the opening doors.[1]
CBD’s Legal Status in Argentina
In 2017, the Argentina Senate passed a bill that would legalize medical cannabis use in the country.[2] Though the Supreme Court had previously decriminalized medical consumption, this represented a big step forward in the country’s cannabis legalization effort.[3] CBD was also included in this medical bill, however, nothing was enacted until 2022 when President Alberto Fernandez officially signed the bill into law.[4] While CBD is, at this time, only available in the sense that it is decriminalized, very soon there shouldl be regulated access for medicinal users.
The Future of CBD and Cannabis in Argentina
Medical legalization of both cannabis and CBD is a step in the right direction for Argentina, however, it is still shy of full recreational legalization. In a country that has been plagued by inflation, unemployment, and corruption, legalizing cannabis may be just the kind of stimulation that the economy needs.[5][6][7] After nearby Uruguay’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis use, the country saw a decrease in drug trafficking and a rise in annual GDP.[8] For Argentina, this may be just the kind of solution they need for several of their country’s ills. If the government doesn’t feel comfortable with full cannabis legalization, the non-intoxicating CBD would make a good test run to ease any fears they may possess about full legalization.
Reference List
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Drug Laws and Prisons in Argentina. (2017, August 22). Transnational Institute. https://www.tni.org/es/node/
16649 -
Staff, R. (2017, March 30). Argentina lawmakers approve cannabis oil for medicinal use. U.S. https://www.reuters.com/
article/us-argentina-cannabis- idUSKBN170391 -
Henao, L. A. (2009, August 25). Argentina decriminalizes small-scale marijuana use. U.S. https://www.reuters.com/
article/us-argentina-drugs- idUSTRE57O62M20090825 -
Nova, R. A. (2022, May 25). Argentina: The government passes the law on the production of cannabis for medical use. Agenzia Nova. https://www.agenzianova.com/
en/news/argentina-il-governo- promulga-la-legge-sulla- produzione-della-cannabis-per- uso-medico/ -
Medina, E. G. (2022, November 19). Surging inflation in Argentina leaves people feeling hopeless: âIt robs you of your dreamsâ. EL PAÃS English Edition. https://english.elpais.com/
international/2022-11-19/ surging-inflation-in- argentina-leaves-people- feeling-hopeless-it-robs-you- of-your-dreams.html -
Argentina Unemployment Rate 1991-2022. (n.d.). MacroTrends. https://www.macrotrends.net/
countries/ARG/argentina/ unemployment-rate -
Transparency International. (2019, November 25). Argentina. Transparency.org. https://www.transparency.org/
en/countries/argentina -
Thelwell, K. (2021, August 29). Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana in Uruguay. The Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/
legalizing-marijuana-in- uruguay/
