CANNABIS LEGALIZATION Magazinović told the Council of Ministers of BiH: It's time to see who works for the people and who for the narco-mafia

(Patria) - Head of the SDP BiH Caucus in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament Saša Magazinović spoke ahead of tomorrow's session of the Council of Ministers of BiH, which will vote on the decision to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes. Magazinović stated that it is "time to see who works for the people and who for the narco-mafia".

"Years of fighting for the legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes are behind us. At the same time, these are years of obstruction and slowing down of this process by those who turn a blind eye to sick people and their need for medicine, those who do not distinguish between use and abuse, those who have an interest in cannabis oil of unknown composition continuing to be sold by dealers instead of being sold in pharmacies, or are simply under the influence of the narco-mafia," Magazinović stated.

The key moment is the vote of the Council of Ministers of BiH on the Decision proposed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH.

"Rarely does an ordinary person have such clear responsibility to decide on the fates of tens of thousands of people and their families. Members of the Council of Ministers will have that power on Monday. They will decide on people's lives and the availability of medicine. Today, in our country, cocaine, opium, morphine, and many other narcotic drugs are legally used for medicinal purposes. The medical absurdity that cannabis cannot be used for medicinal purposes has lasted too long, even though it is our international and legal obligation. When we talk about the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, we should all understand that the medical profession, which fully supports it, is responsible for it. It's time to let medicine do its job, and for politics not to interfere.

For years, the interests of the narco-mafia, i.e., financial interests on one side, and the interests of people in need of medicine and the fulfillment of international and legal obligations on the other, have been intertwined around this issue. The narco-mafia, dealers, and their allies are not interested in cannabis oil being sold in pharmacies. I want to believe that they do not have allies among the members of the Council of Ministers of BiH. With thanks to everyone who has contributed to this fight, especially Minister Dubravka Bošnjak, who, despite obstructions, sent the decision on the legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes for a final decision by the Council of Ministers, I call on patient associations, as well as the entire public and media, to follow the outcome of the Council of Ministers' vote, and especially the positions of each minister individually.

At the moment they vote, I call on the members of the Council of Ministers to think for just a moment about all those cancer patients, those suffering from multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and other illnesses whose lives their decision would help, but also about all those who did not live to see this decision made. The public interest here is clear. This is a matter of life, not politics," Magazinović stated.