Dozens of people march through streets of Quito demanding recreational marijuana legalization

(3 May 2024)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4492192

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Quito, Ecuador – 2 May 2024
1. Various of people marching to demand the legalization of marijuana
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Daniel Taco, protest organizer: ++PART OVERLAID BY SHOT 3++
“This march is to promote and defend the rights of each person. People come, get informed, learn more about what we do, about the benefits that the marijuana plant has. Because it is not like people say that it’s only for smoking, there are many benefits that you can obtain with the plant. It can be oils, it can be ointments, you can help people who have chronic pain, anxiety, depression. All the benefits that marijuana has are very unknown to the world, to the people. This is why this topic is so distorted. It’s forbidden to talk about cannabis, to talk about marijuana because they are practically not interested in people knowing more about this beautiful plant.”
3. Various of march
4. Mid of protester holding sign during march
5. Mid of protest
STORYLINE:
Dozens of people on Thursday marched through the streets of Quito to demand the legalization of cannabis for recreational purposes.

The demonstration was part of the Global Marijuana March in which people across the world hold protests during the first week of May.

In Quito, many smoked as they marched.

Since 2019, cannabis has been legal in Ecuador for medical purposes, allowing some companies to create a small industry aimed at therapeutic uses.

The Ecuadorian government requires users to have a medical permit to grow the plant themselves.

Otherwise users could face a penalty of one to three years in prison, while the possession of a harvested plant is punishable with up to 13 years in prison.

AP video shot by: Cesar Olmos

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