Petro: Colombia's Next President and Cannabis

Home | Canna Law Blog | Petro: Colombia’s Next President and Cannabis Gustavo Petro is Colombia's next president, following his electoral win on June 19. The election of its first leftist president, together with its first Afro-Colombian vice-president, is no doubt a momentous event for Latin America's third-most populous country. What will a Petro presidency mean for cannabis? According to Petro's platform, a "focus on prohibitionism … imposed upon Colombia … war against coca, poppy, and cannabis." In his view, This war has failed and the country needs to move towards a new paradigm that brings together the global and Latin American will towards a concerted international agenda based on human rights and the construction of peace, the economic transformation of the producing environments without criminalizing the growers, the protection of nature, regulation, the judicial subjugation of criminal organizations and the approach of consumption as a public health issue. As presented in the platform, cannabis and coca are an "important productive sector." Petro calls for the development of cannabis agribusiness, with a view to its development as a regulated industry. In fact, the president-elect sees cannabis as having a special place in his efforts to spur development in the Colombian countryside, promising that the cannabis value chain will receive a "special impulse" under his government. In this regard, The production and derivatives of cannabis will have a legal framework that privileges permits and commercial technical support for producer families, ensuring that small owners and producer cooperatives participate in the market and that safe distribution for the consumer is guaranteed in marketing. consumer and an important collection of taxes for the State. In turn, spaces will be opened in international trade with a variety of derived products - medicinal, food and textiles. The incoming Petro administration can build on the progress Colombia has made with regard to cannabis in recent years. Medical cannabis was legalized in 2016. Earlier this year, Colombia issued regulations on the import and export of cannabis products. This means that there already is a framework in place for the international trade in cannabis that Petro envisions. Efforts in the not-so-distant past to legalize adult-use cannabis ran aground in the Colombian legislature, but Petro's Pacto Histórico is a much more present force in Congress following legislative elections in March of this year. As the Spanish proverb goes, del dicho al hecho hay gran trecho. Only time will tell what Petro's priorities will be once in office, and cannabis reform may ultimately take a backseat. Or it may not, with the new government taking steps to make Petro's vision of regulated, decriminalized cannabis a reality. One thing is clear though. A majority of the Colombian electorate has indicated that it wants to try a new path. The setting appears ripe for bold moves that could firm up Colombia's role as the leader of the Latin American cannabis industry. Check Out Our Cannabis Law Services Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn E-mail Comment Fred Rocafort Fred leads Harris Sliwoski’s intellectual property practice and is the coordinator of the firm’s international team. Much of Fred’s practice consists of helping cannabis businesses protect their brands. He also works with entrepreneurs and companies entering the Web3 space, a new frontier for IP law. Prior to joining Harris Sliwoski, Fred worked overseas for more than a decade, in both government and private sector roles. Fred is a regular contributor to the award-winning China Law Blog and Canna Law Blog. Fred began his career overseas as a U.S. consular officer in Guangzhou, China, where he advocated for fairer treatment of American companies and citizens in China and for stronger intellectual property rights enforcement. After entering the private sector, Fred worked at a Shanghai law firm as a foreign legal advisor and later joined one of the oldest American law firms in China, helping foreign companies navigate the Chinese legal environment. He also led the legal team at a Hong Kong-based brand protection consultancy, spending most of his time out in the field, protecting clients against counterfeiters and fraudsters in Greater China, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In addition to his IP work, as a native Spanish speaker, Fred works closely with different Harris Sliwoski teams on Latin America and Spain matters. Fred also provides advice to cannabis industry participants and other businesses on import and export transactions. Fred is an ardent supporter of FC Barcelona—and would be even in the absence of Catalan forebears who immigrated to Puerto Rico in the mid-1800s. Harris Sliwoski Attorney Read more posts [email protected] Read More International Cannabis Law Related Posts September 25, 2026 DEA Enforcement in a Changing Cannabis Landscape: Rescheduling, Hemp, and What Comes Next September 17, 2026 The Supreme Court May Decide if Cannabis-Related Residency Requirements are Unconstitutional September 16, 2026 A $31.8 Million Cannabis-Related Verdict That a Federal Court Wouldn’t Enforce September 15, 2026 Jason Adelstone Moderates Federal Cannabis Policy Discussion at IgniteIt Denver September 11, 2026 Medical Marijuana in Schedule III Survives Its First Major Challenge September 10, 2026 How to Acquire a Colorado Cannabis License September 4, 2026 The Intoxicating Hemp Products Ban Was Delayed a Month. Now What? 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