Exciting times lie ahead for cannabis regulation in Spain. During the arduous process of forming a new government after last July’s elections, we received news that fills those who advocate regulating this plant with hope: Mónica García has been confirmed as Minister of Health.
Mónica García, the current leader of the opposition to Díaz Ayuso in the Community of Madrid, represents the Más Madrid party. Her career has been marked by a firm defence of public healthcare, and now her commitment to cannabis regulation adds to her credentials.
Mónica García, Minister of Health: what does it mean for cannabis regulation?
The choice of Mónica García to lead the Ministry of Health is undoubtedly excellent news. This ministry plays a crucial role in changing the legal status of cannabis in Spain, as it can drive the debate and propose far-reaching changes in this area.
In addition, the Ministry of Health is the body under which the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) operates. This agency has been seen as an obstacle on the road to effective regulation of medical cannabis, non-psychoactive cannabis and adult-use cannabis. Its regulation is still anchored in a pre-constitutional law from 1967, which has caused frustration among those seeking meaningful change.
The appointment of Mónica García as Minister represents the best opportunity we have had so far to move forward with cannabis regulation. Her leadership in this respect is not limited to medical use, but covers comprehensive regulation of the plant, including cannabis associations and Cannabis Social Clubs.
An important consideration is that by allowing Mónica García and her team to lead efforts to regulate cannabis, the Socialist Party could avoid the political cost of leading this transformation. This would allow Mónica and her team to take responsibility for going down this road and would open the door to a more collaborative approach.
Mónica García and her track record on cannabis regulation
Mónica García is no stranger to the fight for cannabis regulation. She has taken an active part in several initiatives in favour of this cause in the Community of Madrid, working closely with Jorge Moruno, a member of the Madrid Assembly, a committed advocate of cannabis regulation and the person behind initiatives in favour of cannabis regulation in the Community of Madrid, and beyond.
In April 2017, Mónica García signed the non-legislative motion promoted by the Regulación Responsable expert group, which was presented in the Madrid Assembly and supported the creation of a parliamentary study group in the Joint Committee on the Drug Problem, now known as the Committee on the Problem of Addictions. This initiative sought to encourage a real debate in the right forum: the Spanish Parliament.
Specifically, the first non-legislative motion presented in the Madrid Assembly urged the Government of the Community of Madrid to call on the national Government to:
“Create within the Joint Committee for the Study of the Drug Problem a Study Group on cannabis and its possible regulation in the new national and international context, based on approaches that respect human rights, scientific evidence, social reality, individual and collective health and the necessary protection of vulnerable groups.”
This motion sought to start a thorough process of study and analysis of cannabis regulation, based on principles of respect for human rights, scientific evidence and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Later, after becoming leader of Más Madrid, in May 2022 she again signed a non-legislative motion along the same lines, this time together with Jorge Moruno. This step reaffirmed her commitment to the comprehensive regulation of cannabis.
The second non-legislative motion presented in the Madrid Assembly specifically urged the Government of the Community of Madrid to carry out a study of the economic, social, health and criminological impact that cannabis regulation would have in the Community of Madrid.
It also urged the Government of the Community of Madrid to call on the national Government to introduce responsible regulation of cannabis for adults, with the following aims:
– Fight the black market, protect minors by making access harder for them, and allocate part of the revenue collected to prevention and to funding public services.
– Guarantee public health by offering adult users a product that meets all certified quality standards.
– Safeguard the civil liberties of adult citizens in exercising their rights as users.
– Establish specific legislation to regulate cannabis for adults that includes labour, gender, territorial, social and sustainability criteria, defining the guiding principles for its production, distribution and sale and avoiding monopoly.
These motions reflect the will to approach cannabis regulation from multiple perspectives, including economic, social, public health and individual rights aspects, with the aim of moving towards more responsible and effective regulation in the Community of Madrid and nationally.
In addition to these legislative initiatives, Más Madrid has actively raised parliamentary questions and other non-legislative motions related to cannabis. All this supports the belief that Mónica García and her team are committed to the cannabis issue and willing to work effectively on its regulation.
A condition for making cannabis regulation possible
In short, this is good news for cannabis regulation in Spain. Having someone with Mónica García’s profile at the head of the Ministry of Health is undoubtedly a condition for making cannabis regulation possible and represents a unique opportunity to move forward on this issue. With her leadership and experience in the fight for regulation, we can expect significant progress towards more responsible and effective cannabis regulation throughout the country. We wish Mónica García every success in her decisions and hope she will continue to help in this important process, backed by civil society and the various political parties committed to cannabis regulation that form part of the Sumar coalition and those that support the coalition government.
But above all we hope she will resist (we are sure she will) the strong pressure she will undoubtedly receive from the pharmaceutical industry and other opaque, shadowy interests that have been sabotaging real progress in this area.
Pero sobre todo esperamos que resista (seguro que sí) a las fuertes presiones que sin duda recibirá por parte de la industria farmacéutica y demás entes opacos y oscuros que llevan boicoteando los avances reales en este sentido.
RGEP4313-17.pdf
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