If there’s one country with a contradictory relationship with cannabis, it’s Colombia. On one hand, medical marijuana has been legal since 2016, with the foundations for a thriving industry that already exports the plant to multiple countries. On the other hand, the same plant exported for medical purposes is not available to Colombian patients; and that’s without even mentioning adult use: Congress has tiptoed around the subject of legalization so many times we’ve lost count.

Last year, there were signs of change, with the proposed amendment to Decree 811 of 2021. The decree currently prohibits the sale of medical cannabis flowers in Colombia, and if amended, the flower could be legally available for distribution in clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies. Currently, medical cannabis is only accessible through derived products. No progress has been made on this front since October.

Now, it seems, the wait could finally be over. The Colombian government has reportedly drafted a decree that would allow the domestic trade of medicinal cannabis flowers under prescription, according to El Tiempo.

Although the decree has not yet been published, it is already being discussed in the media by various actors, such as Congressman Juan Carlos Losada. In an interview with El Tiempo, the legislator behind the measure noted that while the move is positive, it comes very late.

“It should have been published by the first year of the government at the latest,” he said. “The regulations for this new decree are still pending, which could take more than six months, or a year. In that sense, it is very likely that the regulations will have to be implemented in the next four years, which leaves a clear uncertainty.”

Why so certain of this uncertainty? Because within this timeline, the proposed regulation could fall into the hands of the next government, which is still a mystery.

Legalizing the Sale of Medicinal Cannabis Flower in Colombia: What the Decree Says

Under the new regulation, Colombian patients would be able to access unprocessed medicinal marijuana flowers with a medical prescription. The decree modifies the concept of “finished product” under a broader definition that classifies the plant as suitable for “human or veterinary consumption” with prior authorization.

One of the most innovative advances included in the proposal is a 1% THC limit for domestic commerce. Most countries impose a 0.3% limit to differentiate hemp from psychotropic cannabis: now, in Colombia, medicines with more than 1% of the cannabinoid will be considered “specially controlled.”

Likewise, cultivation licenses for the foreign and domestic markets are being expanded, including “activities involving the import or acquisition, by any means, of seeds for sowing; sowing; harvesting; post-harvest; storage; marketing; transportation; distribution; and final disposal,” El Tiempo reports.

However, only micro, small, and medium-sized growers with licenses granted by the Ministry of Justice and the National Narcotics Fund will be permitted to cultivate the plant during the first two years after the decree is signed.

All in all, this measure represents progress and hope not only for national industries forced to compete in the international market, but also for thousands of patients who, until now, have not been allowed to enjoy the fruits harvested on their own soil.

NORML regrets the passing of Oaksterdam University founder and longtime activist Richard Lee.

Richard was an entrepreneur who helped greatly advance the public’s perception of cannabis and its consumers. Years prior to the adoption of statewide legalization in California, Lee boldly opened some of the first marijuana coffeeshops in the United States, the Blue Sky Coffeeshop and The Bulldog Coffeeshop in Oakland, California. He founded Oaksterdam University in 2007, the first brick-and-mortar establishment to offer in-person educational training to those looking to enter the cannabis industry. The University has graduated over 110,000 students and provides assistance to state regulators in numerous medical cannabis states.

A passionate activist, Lee spearheaded the Proposition 19 marijuana legalization initiative in California in 2010. The grassroots effort received more than 3.4 million votes and laid the foundation for the passage of the first-ever successful statewide legalization initiatives in Colorado and Washington two years later. (California ultimately legalized the adult use cannabis market following the passage of a separate ballot initiative, Proposition 64 in 2016.)

Following a federal raid of Blue Sky and Oaksterdam by the federal government in 2012, Richard named executive chancellor Dale Sky Jones as head of the university. No charges were ever filed against Lee and Oaksterdam University triumphantly re-opened its doors days later.

“Thanks to Richard Lee, opportunities have opened up for so many people,” Jones posted on the Oaksterdam website. “Richard’s vision brought new jobs, new businesses, new protection for patients, and allowed for new lives with dignity where once there was only stigma and punishment.”

She added: “Richard’s courage to fight when it wasn’t easy, when it wasn’t safe, and when few others dared, led to a domino effect of global change that we are still witnessing today. He didn’t wait for the system to catch up; he worked relentlessly to make it right. His legacy is one of freedom for individuals, freedom for communities, and freedom for families who can now thrive without the shadow of an unjust system hanging over them.”

NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano, who served on Oaksterdam’s faculty for over a decade, echoed Jone’s sentiments. “Richard Lee was a generous and courageous man — generous with his time and courageous by his actions. His contributions to the movement are immense; yet, he always remained humble. He spoke softly yet his actions carried tremendous weight. There are few people who have single-handedly advanced our cause as much as Richard Lee. His contributions and his legacy will not be forgotten.”

NORML offers its condolences to the friends and family of Richard Lee.

A bipartisan coalition of 32 state and territorial attorneys general posted a letter Thursday that calls on Congressional leaders to pass the SAFER Banking Act of 2025, legislation that seeks to normalize the relationship between state-legal cannabis businesses and the financial industry.

The cannabis industry generated over $30.1 billion in sales in 2024 and is projected to surpass $34 billion by the end of 2025, according to the letter. However, although nearly 75% of U.S. citizens live in a jurisdiction that has legalized some form of access to cannabis products – whether via a medical program or as part of sweeping adult-use reforms – the industry still conducts its business almost entirely in cash.

This creates “a considerable safety issue for the public,” the attorneys general wrote, as “employees and customers are at greater risk of violent crime in pursuit of that cash.” The letter argues that giving cannabis companies access to “the nation’s regulated banking system is crucial to public safety and to ensuring that lawful businesses in our states have access to regulated banking services.”

The reforms would also improve “compliance with tax laws,” the letter said, and would “help ensure that state governments do not forfeit hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue that the cannabis industry generates.”

“Congress should provide a safe harbor for depository institutions that provide a financial product or service to a covered business in a state that has implemented laws and regulation that ensure accountability in the cannabis industry. An effective safe harbor would bring billions of dollars into the banking sector, enabling law enforcement, federal, state, and local tax agencies, and cannabis regulators in the states and territories to more effectively monitor cannabis businesses and their transactions.” – Excerpt from the letter

“By reducing the risk of crime and improving tax compliance through access to regulated financial services, the SAFER Banking Act has the ability to enhance both public safety and transparency,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), who supported similar legislation in 2023, said in a statement. “With billions in revenue, giving cannabis businesses a secure place to bank isn’t just smart policy – it’s common sense.”