By Luke Sumpter

When thinking about legal cannabis, the mind usually pictures growers happily cultivating plants in Colorado or California. Although he North American countries have made some outstanding progress in cannabis freedoms, the countries south of the US border are also starting to see a weed revolution of their own.

Check out the South and Central American nations taking the biggest steps towards legalisation and those already there, below.


Argentina

Argentina boasts some pretty relaxed cannabis laws. In fact, you might find yourself wanting to move there after reading this paragraph! In 2009, the nation decriminalised personal use and the consumption of the herb in private locations. Plus, the police often turn a blind eye to the public consumption of cannabis.

More recently, in November 2020, the government took the huge step of allowing medical cannabis users to grow their own plants[1] at home. Patients with a prescription now have plenty of options when it comes to accessing weed. They can either grow it, obtain it from "solitary growers", or purchase oils and other preparations from pharmacies and other licenced outlets.

Argentina Leading Weed Legalization

Chile

Cannabis laws in Chile offer a lot more freedom than most European nations. The country opened its first medical cannabis club in 2016. These establishments provide products to medical users that can't, for whatever reason, grow their own weed.

Chile also exercises relaxed laws around home cultivation. Growers are allowed to produce cannabis at home for medical and recreational purposes[2], but exclusively for personal use.

Colombia

Colombia has a reputation on the world stage for illegal substances. Although a war on drugs currently rages in the nation, Colombia has a fairly relaxed attitude towards weed.

The government decriminalised cannabis in 2012[3], allowing citizens to carry less than 20 grams of weed without the risk of being prosecuted or detained. Although these measures reduced the risk of prosecution, they didn't rule out possible interventions altogether. Some "offenders" caught with these amounts had to undergo either physical or psychological treatment, depending on their level of intoxication at the time.

In 2015, president Juan Manuel Santos signed a decree[4] to fully legalise medical marijuana in the country. Santo's decree aimed to take production out of the hands of drug traffickers and squash the violence associated with a thriving black market.

Colombia took another important step towards legal cannabis in 2016 when the government enacted Law 1787. This piece of legislation ensured the regulation of medicinal cannabis in the country. This shift in the law made it possible for cultivators to obtain four types of licences[5]:

  • Cultivation of psychoactive cannabis
  • Cultivation of non-psychoactive cannabis
  • Cultivation for the use of seeds for planting
  • Cultivation for the manufacture of by-products

Patients can access medical cannabis easily in the country. Processes overseen by the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health divert the bulk of cannabis flowers and extracts into cannabis-based pharmaceutical products. However, patients also can grow up to 20 plants[6] at home, but only for personal consumption.

Colombia hit a stumbling block in 2018 as their newly elected president, Ivan Duque, signed a decree[7] that allowed authorities to cease even small amounts of cannabis. Concerned with the sharp rise of drug use in the country, Duque stated, "We are signing a decree that gives tools to the police to remove drugs from the streets of our cities, and of course, to destroy any dose."

On the bright side, the Colombian Constitutional Court upset Duque's ambitions by overruling the ban on public consumption[8] in 2019. Despite the liberal view of medical cannabis, law enforcement still cracks down heavily on the plant's recreational use. Consumption remains unpunished, but any attempts to sell, import, or export are considered criminal offences.

Colombia Leading Weed Legalization

Costa Rica

Luscious rainforests. Tranquil beaches. Mighty mountains. Costa Rica sounds like an idyllic setting to sit back in a hammock and light a joint. But where does the government stand on this issue?

Costa Rica is leading the way when it comes to green issues. They aim to ban fossil fuels[9] and become the world's first decarbonised society. But they're acting rather slowly when it comes to other green areas, including medical cannabis.

Lawmakers have proposed a bill that seeks to provide medical marijuana[10] to patients suffering from immune issues and degenerative ailments like Parkinson's disease. However, the Costa Rican parliament has yet to vote on the legislation.

This snail's pace has led politicians from across party lines to call upon President Carlos Alvarado to use his powers to get the ball rolling. Politician Zolia Volio stated, "Every day that passes, there are thousands of patients who have to look for cannabinoid oils in the street, without any quality control, to treat cases of epilepsy, immunological problems, multiple sclerosis and cancer."

Although Volio raises some extremely valid points, citizens of Costa Rica do have some advantages when it comes to accessing cannabis. The Costa Rican Supreme Court decriminalised the possession and cultivation[11] of small quantities of cannabis for personal use in 2018. This means people can grow small amounts without dire legal consequences, placing the nation ahead of hundreds of other countries across the world.

Mexico

Mexico has a rough history with drugs. For decades, the government has resisted the increasingly militarised cartels that make enormous amounts of money from trafficking illegal substances. Because of this, Mexico might seem like an unlikely place for a legal cannabis market.

However, legalising drugs, including cannabis, could strike at the Achille's heel of these criminal organisations. Although legalising cannabis might help to cut off some of their resources[12], many other substances and items do provide them with substantial streams of income.

Organised crime aside, Mexico's move towards legal cannabis also represents the recognition of human rights. In 2018, the country's Supreme Court overturned the ban on recreational cannabis[13] on the ground that it deprives the individual of the liberty of choice, stating, "The effects provoked by marijuana do not justify an absolute prohibition of its consumption."

Now, Mexico finds itself on the precipice of full-blown legalisation. On March 10th, 2021, Mexico's Chamber of Deputies legalised the production of cannabis[14] for medical, recreational, and industrial purposes.

The new laws allow anyone over the age of 18 to carry up to 28 grams of cannabis and purchase the herb from licenced shops. Mexican citizens can also grow up to six plants at home after applying for a permit.

This sounds great, but a few small barriers still remain. Both the Mexican Sensate and President Andrés Manuel López need to approve this legislation, and the momentum has slowed. Mexico's Congress failed to pass the law before the set deadline[15].

However, if the Sensate fails once more and requests another deadline, cannabis could become legal through another Supreme Court decision.

Mexico Leading Weed Legalization

Paraguay

Situated to Brazil's south, Paraguay enjoys warm temperatures, tropical fruits, and decriminalised cannabis.

The possession of 10 grams or less of cannabis was decriminalised back in 1988. Now, Paraguay has cannabis laws that are slightly less relaxed than its South American neighbours. Despite being the largest cannabis producer on the continent, citizens still can't grow their own weed for recreational purposes.

Although complete legalisation hasn't arrived yet, those that use cannabis medicinally are in a much better position. In 2019, the Senate approved the decriminalisation of self-cultivation for medicinal purposes. This amendment to drug trafficking laws[16] makes growers with ailments treatable with cannabis exempt from prosecution, as long as they hold a medical certificate from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare. This document allows medical users to sow, cultivate, harvest, and process cannabis plants without the risk of legal penalties.

Uruguay

Uruguay sprinted past the finish line as the first country in the world to legalise recreational cannabis. Although nations like the United States often get the most coverage regarding legal cannabis, Uruguay truly took the first pioneering steps. It lit the spark that set the revolution ablaze.

The country fully legalised recreational cannabis in 2013. This move completely overhauled the nation's approach to the plant. Once confined to growing illegally and buying from street dealers, citizens of Uruguay now have access to weed through four means[17]:

  • Medical marijuana through the Ministry of Health
  • Home-grown cannabis
  • Cannabis from membership clubs
  • Sales in pharmacies

Uruguay, at first, seems like a herb-lovers paradise. However, there are still strict regulations[18] in place. Citizens can grow and harvest up to six plants at a time, and cannabis club members are limited to buying 480 grams of cannabis per year. This might seem like a lot of herb to some smokers, but others will burn through that amount quite quickly.

Although the more libertarian-minded among us might view this model as draconian, Uruguay has granted its citizens significant freedom when it comes to cannabis compared to almost every other country.

External Resources:
  1. Argentina Regulates Medical Cannabis Self-Cultivation, Sales, Subsidized Access https://www.forbes.com
  2. https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-to-a-legal-roadmap-to-cannabis/chile
  3. Colombia decriminalizes cocaine, marijuana | The World from PRX https://www.pri.org
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-35165169
  5. The Challenges of Medicinal Cannabis in Colombia | Transnational Institute https://www.tni.org
  6. https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-to-a-legal-roadmap-to-cannabis/colombia
  7. Colombian president tightens anti-drug laws - France 24 https://www.france24.com
  8. Colombia To Promote International Cannabis Exports | Prohibition Partners https://prohibitionpartners.com
  9. Costa Rica to ban fossil fuels and become world's first decarbonised society | The Independent | The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk
  10. Lawmakers in Costa Rica ask government to speed up medical cannabis debate - https://ticotimes.net
  11. Countries Around the World Make Moves to Decriminalize Cannabis https://www.greenentrepreneur.com
  12. Mexico seeks to blunt power of cartels with marijuana legalization | News and current affairs from Germany and around the world | DW | 19.03.2021 https://www.dw.com
  13. Here's what's behind Mexico's radical move toward legalizing marijuana during its war on drugs - Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com
  14. Mexican congress approves adult-use cannabis law | Prohibition Partners https://prohibitionpartners.com
  15. Weeks After Deadline, Mexico’s Congress Still Hasn’t Passed Law On Marijuana Legalization | Texas Standard https://www.texasstandard.org
  16. Senado aprueba despenalizar autocultivo de cannabis para uso medicinal https://www.ultimahora.com
  17. Decriminalization of Narcotics: Uruguay https://www.loc.gov
  18. Decriminalization of Narcotics: Uruguay https://www.loc.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: