Argentinians are now allowed to grow Cannabis at home

This month Argentina allowed people in the country to grow marijuana at home for medicinal use. This is a huge win for marijuana advocates who have fought for years to make medical marijuana available to suffering patients. A decree from Argentine President Alberto Fernández also allows pharmacies to sell oils, creams and other products made from cannabis, and orders that public and private insurance systems must cover these drugs for patients receiving a prescription. <% {"name": "BoxSeenNews", "newsHeadline":" Christmas is early for Fosterville South", "link": "/news/christmas-coming-early-fosterville-south"} %> In 2017 the country had legalized marijuana for medical use. According to proponents of medical cannabis, Mr Fernández's predecessor, Mauricio Macri, imposed such strict restrictions that the drug was virtually inaccessible to patients. "We fought for three years," said Valeria Salech, director of Mamá Cultiva, an Argentine organization that promotes medical marijuana. "We will no longer be criminalized for striving for a better quality of life for ourselves and our loved ones". Ms. Salech used cannabis oil on her son Emiliano, who is both autistic and epileptic. Her son has been using the oil for six years and is now 14 years old. "Cannabis helped him to improve his connection with the people around him. He could stop using diapers, take care, he learned to play," said Ms. Salech. "It changed our lives." "There was a law, but there was no access to the products," said Argentine Health Minister Ginés González García of the country's strict law. "We are replacing an already existing black market with a quality control system that is of central importance for all medical products, especially those that are given to children. "We cultivate the knowledge that we could lose our freedom at any moment, but we do it because quality of life cannot be paid for with a price," said Ms. Salech. The previous cultivation of marijuana resulted in prison sentences of between four and 15 years. Those who grow marijuana without a license will still face this penalty. The approval will be "on a case-by-case basis," said Gonzaléz García. "Even if it doesn't cure, improving the quality of life is no small matter," he said. "If we only look at health as the absence of disease, we are missing the mark," said Ms Salech. "This plant came to teach us that." Home growers in Argentina will require a license based on medical needs.