Bolivia, the coca leaf and the new horizons of plants banned from international markets

By Patricia Chulver Benitez | Acción Semilla Foundation

2018 was a year with significant advances in the regulation of some controlled substances at the international level of drug policy and it is necessary to analyze the trends to understand the steps that Bolivia must take if it wishes to advance with its regulatory policy with a view to the international claim of the coca leaf and the possibilities of export.

As a first success we can mention Uruguay with its Law No. 19172 which regulates the production, distribution and sale of cannabis and whose effectiveness is measured in terms of the rights of people who use drugs by providing an effective health response from public health. It is followed by Canada, the first G7 country to legalize the recreational use of the same plant, and Mexico, which recently presented its proposal for a General Law for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis.

These countries (along with others for 2020 initiatives such as New Zealand) hope to reach trade agreements between parties as the international context allows for new legal alternatives that do not break with the conventions and do not depend on consensus in the larger drug policy decision scenarios. The first alternative is the “Inter Se” treaties and the second is based on requesting a critical review from the World Health Organization (WHO).