James Warren
A NEWLY formed government subcommittee dedicated to studying the benefits of medicinal marijuana has brought the drugs legal use in Spain one step closer.
In a plenary session held on Friday, representatives from all the political groups voted in favour of the plan to create the group to better understand its use for medical purposes.
Daniel Viondi, the socialist deputy who will act as spokesman for the group explained that the proposal acts on behalf of 91% of the population who approve of introducing weed to medical science.
The proposal was brought to the table by PSOE and Unidas Podemos and garnered support from mixed representatives, with PP and Vox voting against the plan at this stage.
“We need to better understand the scientific and medical implications, plus the safety and efficiency of the drug before we can commit,” said a source close to the PP party.
Both the PP and Vox have not counted out the introduction of marijuana to become available to patients, and have explained that they are ‘open to discussion’.
Viondi explained that the decision is absolutely not related to recreational use of the drug, which is currently prohibited to be grown for profit or sale.
Lucía Muñoz, Unidas Podemos deputy praised the initiative, but is concerned that it is only the first step towards stabilising the marijuana industry in Spain.
“The details of the proposal are vague but it is a step forward. It is an unambitious plan, and doesn’t touch on whether it will benefit larger corporations or smaller growers.” said Muñoz.
Currently, medical marijuana is used to help patients suffering the effects of serious conditions such as cancer, HIV, muscle spasms and chronic pain.
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