Costa Rica’s Congress passed legislation legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and allowing its cultivation for industrial purposes.
However, the cultivation and sale of marijuana for recreational purposes remains prohibited.
President Carlos Alvarado is expected to sign it within days.
Supporters of the bill say it will boost the agricultural sector and create job opportunities.
After Tuesday’s vote, Costa Rica will join a number of other Latin American countries in legalizing medical marijuana.
Recreational marijuana use remains banned in most parts of the region, with the exception of Uruguay, which became the first country in the world to legalize in 2013.
Costa Rica’s bill was not without controversy. President Alvarado vetoed an earlier version, arguing that limits should be placed on individual cultivation and consumption.
The amended law has the support of the President, who said it would be “of great benefit to Costa Rica.”
Patients who will benefit from easier access to medical marijuana took to Twitter to thank Zoila Rosa Volio, the lawmaker behind the law, for getting it through Congress.
A cancer patient posted a tearful video describing how medical marijuana had helped her regain her appetite and walk again.
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