The Colombian Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill to legalize marijuana nationwide, though there are still more legislative steps that need to be taken before it’s potentially enacted into law.Gran equipo con @JuanKarloslos ✊🏼💜 #EsHoraDeRegular pic.twitter.com/vQYcBtpnz5 — María José Pizarro Rodríguez (@PizarroMariaJo) December 6, 2022 At a public hearing in the Senate panel last month, Justice Minister Néstor Osuna said that Colombia has been the victim of “a failed war that was designed 50 years ago and, due to absurd prohibitionism, has brought us a lot of blood, armed conflict, mafias and crime.” The proposed constitutional amendment, sponsored by Rep. Juan Carlos Losada, contemplates the public health and economic impacts of legalization, as well as the ideological principle of individual autonomy.#EsHoraDeRegular pic.twitter.com/i25zYhMLMu — María José Pizarro Rodríguez (@PizarroMariaJo) December 6, 2022 The justice minister also discussed legislative legalization efforts at an event focused on cannabis reform last month, emphasizing the need to enact a policy change the promotes economic growth and public health.Inicia transmisión, conéctate en vivo 👉🏼https://t.co/6CwaskJx4m#EsHoraDeRegular pic.twitter.com/DdsteNXhCx — Juan Carlos Losada (@JuanKarloslos) December 6, 2022 In September, the president delivered a speech at a meeting of the United Nations (UN), urging member nations to fundamentally change their approaches to drug policy and disband with prohibition.He released a memorandum to the defense secretary in August that authorizes the “interdiction of aircraft reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in illicit drug trafficking in that country’s airspace.” He said that it’s “necessary because of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the national security of that country” and because “Colombia has appropriate procedures in place to protect against innocent loss of life in the air and on the ground in connection with such interdiction, which includes effective means to identify and warn an aircraft before the use of force is directed against the aircraft.” Petro also met with the president of Mexico last month, and the pair announced that they will be bringing together other Latin American leaders for an international conference focused on on “redesigning and rethinking"