Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos signed a decree to legalize the production and sale of marijuana for medical purposes on Dec. 22. The move may pave the way for the drug-torn country to rehabilitate itself slowly.

Peace and order in Colombia have constantly been threatened by violence connected to the war on drugs. The government persists in trying different ways to track down drug cartels and other coalitions that use income from drug trafficking to fund rebel paramilitary groups. One example of this is the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, an organization that continuously and violently engages the military.

Drug Scene In Colombia

Colombians can legally cultivate up to 20 cannabis plants for personal consumption, and possession of up to 20 grams (0.70 ounces) has been legal since 1994. Nevertheless, there are still farms in which the cannabis harvest ends up being illegally exported to other countries where drug use is considered a violation of the law.

The Colombian government has gone so far as to spray farms that cultivated cannabis. The process also destroys other legal crops, such as coffee, and has consequently been met with complaints from farmers.

These complaints and the study by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, which revealed how the main chemical component used during aerial spraying can cause cancer in humans, led the government to announce that it would stop aerial spraying in May. The activity was completely suspended on Dec. 14.

What Was The Aim Of Legalizing Marijuana In Colombia?

Colombia may have legalized the possession and consumption of marijuana for personal use in the past decades, but the country does not have a solid framework with regard to regulating the distribution of the substance.

This lack has allowed illegal drug traffickers to take advantage of loopholes to gain profit and finance activities, such as blackmailing and bribing officials, thus rendering the law enforcement and justice system powerless over criminal elements.

"Allowing the medicinal use of cannabis will not counter our international commitment in the field of drug control, much less our policy to combat drug trafficking," Santos said.

The new law allows the cultivation, processing, import and export of cannabis for research and medical use. This means that scientific institutions will have access to the cultivated plants to study medicinal properties and hopefully allow them to discover ways it can fight other diseases.

What Can The Legalization Do For Colombia?

"What we want is that patients have reach to drugs of safe domestic production, of quality ... [t]his is also an opportunity to promote scientific research in the country," said Santos. He explained that the legalization of marijuana aims to take advantage of Colombia's own resources. The locally grown cannabis will be used to help advance medical and scientific research to improve the lives of citizens.

The country could have a better chance of helping the roughly 400,000 Colombians who suffer from epilepsy and those who experience post-traumatic stress.

Of course, if Colombia is able to discover breakthroughs in medical research regarding marijuana use, it will not only mean scientific recognition for the country but also a much needed boost for its economy.

Criticism from Various Camps

Even as the Colombian president defends his decision, many critics believe his action is a sign that his administration is weakening. Hence, it could lead to troubled political times ahead.

There are, however, some who believe that the government is simply employing a different strategy to crack down on drug trafficking.

The only way to truly settle the argument is to wait for the country's scientific community to meet Santos' expectations.