Ecuadorian National Assembly voted YES to the legalization of medicinal use of cannabis during sessions to reform Organic Comprehensive Criminal Code.

During the Tuesday plenary of the Ecuadorian National Assembly, they approved the production, commercialization, use and consumption of cannabis for medicinal or therapeutical treatment.

As conciliated before, legislators approved other issues less controversial. There were 83 votes in favor of the motion, while another 23 more were cons, a blank vote and 23 abstentions. Also, there was a request to redo the process due to some technical problems, but it was denied.

On the other hand, the matter of rape abortion was rejected. It only reached 65 votes out the 70 necessary for the decriminalization of rape, incestuous rape and malformation of the fetus.

In a previous interview with a local tv program, Ximena Peña, president of the Justice Comission, stated that “the reform is wide and brings a lot of positive items like citizen security, fight against corruption, crimes against sexual integrity of boys, girls and teenagers”.

The current legislation (article 150) only allows finishing a pregnancy in case of health risks for the mother or raping someone that suffers from a mental disability. They need only 70 votes out of 137 legislators available to approve the proposal.