Brazil: Project that legalizes cannabis cultivation will be voted on in November

Bill 399/15, which legalizes the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes in Brazil by companies and governments will be voted on in the Chamber later this November. The information was confirmed to Cannabis & Health by the president of the Special Commission on Cannabis, Paulo Teixeira (PT-SP), and by the advice of deputy Luciano Ducci (PSB-PR), rapporteur of the text. The President of the Cannabis Commission believes that PL 399/15 will be approved by the majority of deputies and will go to the Senate.

The proposal was approved by the special commission in June and, since then, it was in the hands of the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL). PL 399/15 should go directly to the Federal Senate, as it is final in the commission. However, congressman Diego Garcia (Pode-PR), one of the main opponents of the proposal, also presented in June a request to take the text to the plenary of the House and got the necessary signatures.

Therefore, it is this resource that will be put to a vote. If it is approved, then PL 399 will be voted on by the 513 federal deputies before going to the Senate. In other words, two votes.

As this is a sensitive issue for the Bolsonaro government, Lira took a long time to put it to a vote. According to Paulo Teixeira, as a countermeasure for displeasing the Executive, Lira will also present an agenda of interest to Bolsonarism, PL 3262/21, which regulates home education, or homeschooling.

According to Paulo Teixeira, the appeal of PL 399 will be put on the agenda “in the coming weeks, probably next week or the following week”. Luciano Ducci's adviser informed that the vote will take place in the second half of November.

“It is a very small nucleus that opposes the agenda!”

Teixeira remains confident of approval by the majority of deputies, since both left-wing parties, such as PT and PSOL, and right-wing parties, from PSDB to NOVO, defend its approval.

“It's medicine. It is a very negationist line of wanting to associate the drug with other purposes. From the point of view of medicine, it is a very small group of people who are opposed to this agenda”.

If approved in the House and then in the Senate, the text goes to presidential sanction. Jair Bolsonaro (without a party) has already made several statements against the proposal, including calling it a "filth" and guaranteeing that you will veto it. However, an eventual veto by the president can be overturned in Congress.

The project legalizes the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal, industrial and research purposes by companies, governments and NGOs. The text vetoes the cultivation by individuals and the sale of flowers in natura. For the cultivation of species with psychoactivity, authorizations will be granted by Anvisa and must follow strict rules, such as a 2-meter wall with electric fence, 24-hour video surveillance and biometric access.

As for the cultivation of hemp, a THC-free variety used in the production of food and fiber and veterinary products, permission will be given by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.