Buenos Aires (AFP)
The Argentine government has legalized the autoculture of cannabis for therapeutic use as well as the sale of medicinal oils and creams in pharmacies, according to a decree published in the Official Journal on Wednesday.
It is a revision of the law adopted in March 2017 authorizing the medicinal use of cannabis oils but maintained the prohibition of self-cultivation and the possession of seeds in individual or collective form.
The decree, signed by President Alberto Fernandez, aims to allow "access and protection (...) to those who need to use cannabis as a therapeutic tool", indicates the text.
Thus, personal and network cultivation is allowed for researchers and patients who enroll in the National Cannabis Program, which had been created by law but was not operational.
The sale of oils and creams produced from cannabis is also authorized in pharmacies.
Patients and families of children with serious pathologies who produced their own oil in order to improve their quality of life were demanding to come out of illegality.
"Today, we cry with joy because we have started this fight for our children (...). We are a big family which fights for the same right, the right to the quality of life. We will cultivate our drugs without fear "(...) We are not criminals", welcomed the collective "Mama Cultiva" on social networks.
Cannabis oil is used to treat epilepsy as well as for the palliative treatment of pain in people with cancer, fibromyalgia or to reduce the effects of Parkinson's disease.
The Argentine state also intends to embark on the public production of cannabis for therapeutic use in order to guarantee access to patients who do not have medical coverage.
In 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to pass a law allowing the cultivation of medicinal and recreational marijuana, the formation of growers' clubs and the supervised purchase of marijuana in pharmacies.
© 2020 AFP