Outpacing many states in the marijuana reform game, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico legalized marijuana for medical use on Sunday. Thanks to an executive order by the island's governor, Alejandro García Padilla, "some or all controlled substances or components of the cannabis plant" are available for medical use, effective immediately.
Padilla noted in a press release that medical cannabis has been shown to be effective to "relieve pain caused by multiple sclerosis, AIDS virus, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, migraine, Parkinson's, and other diseases that often do not respond to traditional treatments." However, the same release makes clear that this should not be construed as sanction for recreational marijuana use, which will stay distinct and illegal in Puerto Rican law.
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