Last Wednesday, October 5, 2022, during the governing council that is usually held at the Presidential House, the president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, signed the bill of the “Control and Regulation of Cannabis for Recreational Use”.
“It is a law that allows to control and regulate marijuana for recreational use. It is no secret to anyone that in Costa Rica marijuana is consumed more and more openly, it is a reality. Just as in the United States during the time of alcohol prohibition, alcohol was still consumed,” Chaves explained.
With this bill, the central government intends to have greater control over two very important aspects with respect to this issue: public health and criminality. According to the explanation of reasons included in the text, since 1995 the use of cannabis in the country has been increasing. It went from 5.5% in 1995 to 17.7% in 2015 in number of people who ever tasted the flower
“The consequence of the state being outside of regulatory activity is that criminal drug trafficking groups have taken advantage and made money; in addition, the health and integrity of consumers is exposed (…) America tried to ban alcohol and who came out and got rich? Al Capone,” the president exemplified.
Finally, he called on the Congress to hold a technical and rational debate on an issue that is happening day by day and is part of the reality of the country.
This announcement comes almost two months after the “Hemp Regulation for Food and Industrial Use” was signed and just days after the regulation for medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis with psychoactive properties.
in Costa Rica. 
