Colombian leader sees opportunity in cannabis, but not coca

By JOSEPH KRAUSS
Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Colombian President Iván Duque has high hopes for the medical marijuana industry in a country that has been waging a costly war against a different drug — cocaine — for decades. But in an interview with The Associated Press he says the promotion of cannabis for medical and other purposes is “a different story” than cocaine. Fresh from the U.N. climate summit and the opening of a Colombian innovation center in Jerusalem, Duque was keen to discuss how Colombia and Israel could collaborate on innovation. Colombia, which recently lifted an export ban on dried cannabis flower, is looking to harness residuals for everything from medical treatments to cosmetics.