El Planteo
With an Act in the Casa Rosada Led by Alberto Fernández, the Law on Medicinal Cannabis and Industrial Hemp is Enacted
The El Planteo team was present this May 24 at the Casa Rosada to witness the act for the Promulgation of the Medical Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Law, led by the President of the Nation Alberto Fernández and the cabinet of the Ministry of Productive Development.
With 155 affirmative votes, 56 against and 19 abstentions, on May 5 the project to regulate the development and industry of medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp received approval in the Deputies, which already had half a sanction from the Senate.
The act began in the Hall of Argentine Women in the Government House at about 4:30 p.m. The stage was occupied by the President of the Nation, the Minister of Productive Development, Matías Kulfas, and by the founder of the organization Mamá Cultiva, Valeria Salech. From the screens, they accompanied from a distance: Pablo Fazio, president of the Argentine Chamber of Cannabis and Benjamín Enrici, President of Agrogenetica Riojana.
It focused on presenting to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, national authorities, legislators, leaders in the cannabis world, solidarity growers and growers, entrepreneurs, representatives of ArgenCANN and civil organizations, and journalists the advantages and possibilities open to this flagship law promoted by the Minister of Productive Development Matías Kulfas, who was also the first speaker.
“This law is going to allow the inauguration of a new industry in Argentina”, Minister Kulfas began. Likewise, he emphasized the possibility of generating exports that bring in foreign exchange, in its potential to integrate different regions of the country for a more general development, and in the strong growth that it would mean for the scientific and research sector.
“This law will provide the appropriate framework to be able to produce on a scale, with quality and traceability, and generate regional development […] an industry that will have a strong presence of SMEs and cooperatives. An industry in which we are forecasting that, in a period of 3 years, we can be creating nearly 10,000 jobs”.
Then came the turn of Valeria Salech , a key figure in the debate over medical cannabis from Mama Cultiva and, after years of perseverance, one of those responsible for incorporating the issue on the agenda.
Salech thanked all the politicians, organizations and people who supported the fight and called for celebration but also for caution and hard work: “The Medicinal Cannabis Law taught us that when laws are enacted the goal is not reached: it is the starting point, kilometer zero. Now we have to work a lot and we are going to be following that work so that it is a law that is as reparatory as possible for those groups that during all these years, centuries, put their body, heart, head and will for the common good ” .
Meanwhile, Pablo Fazio, president of ArgenCANN, spoke on behalf of the organized business sector : “There is no possible lukewarmness for what lies ahead,” he stated at the beginning. In addition, he expressed his emotion and pride and listed the challenges and responsibilities that concern his sector in the face of the implementation of the law: “ From the private sector that I have to represent, we must show all our creativity and our innovative capacity ” .
For his part and also virtually from La Rioja, Enrici spoke of the boost that this law means for the regional economy in his province.
“ We are facing a historical fact, Argentina has for the first time an Industrial Cannabis Law that allows it to enter one of the most important value chains in the world ”, said the President of Agrogenetica Riojana. “Why is this industry important for Argentina? I want to be clear on this. Because it is an industry that fits perfectly into the concept of a knowledge economy. It is a profitable, sustainable industry that has a huge impact on the generation of labor and has a continuous component of technological innovation. Argentina has all the resources to become a development pole for this industry worldwide ”.
Finally, it was the turn of the President of the Nation, Alberto Fernández , who was received with standing applause. “This is another triumph of society against hypocrisy” were his first words. And he developed: “This sets a precedent that follows the line of the law of divorce, same-sex marriage and the IVE. A triumph of society in the dispute over common sense. And r he recognized the importance of deputies Mara Brawer and Carolina Gaillard at the time of making flesh this demand that began by the cannabis mothers. The president did not stop so much in the economic aspects, already developed previously by the speakers, but in the social and ideological ones”.
The closing was dedicated and emotional: “And perhaps this pays costs: but history will say that you beat hypocrisy Carito [referring to Gaillard], and that triumph is priceless. And today we are here implementing a law that is also very interesting how we achieved it, because it has been the result of a great consensus . First of the consensus among those who demanded the law, who organized themselves and reached the authorities. First, the Ministry of Productive Development heard them; then we all gave our opinion in the Social Economic Council and we made a better law. And then we had to go to Congress. Today it is my turn to promulgate it and it is a day of joy .”
The act concluded with a great applause and the general joy of all those present. Among many other guests, the aforementioned Brawer and Gaillard were present at the event, as well as the lawyer Victoria Baca Paunero, Dr. Marcelo Morante and the cannabis journalist Fernando Soriano.
Source: https://elplanteo.com/video-promulgacion-ley-cannabis-canamo-argentina/?mc_cid=660f46eccd
