Swiss Beer Stirs
Controversy in Costa
Rica
The sale of the Swiss
brew "Hanfblute" has
raised controversy in
Costa Rica as it clearly
has an as one its
ingredients the aroma of
cannabis, that is to
say, marijuana.
A bottle of the brew is
being sold in Costa Rica
for ¢1.105 colones
(us$2.20).
The Directora General
del Instituto de
Alcoholismo y
Farmacodependencia (IAFA)
- pharmaceutical and
drug dependency
institute - Guiselle
Amador, expressed her
concern for the sale of
the beer in Costa Rica
for its negative
implications that it is
good for ones health.
"The beer does not
contain cannabis, the
aroma it possesses is
from essence. There is
no marijuana in the
beer", Amador said.
However, the director
added that it could lead
to people smoking
marijuana, which is
illegal in the country,
while drinking the beer,
and can be dangerous to
health.
The IAFA is the
authority that can
give permission to
promote the brew in the
media and so far,
according to Amador, no
such request has been
made and expects the
commission that reviews
such requests will
refuse to issue a
permit.
Amador said that along
with the legal
department of the
institute, they were
drafting a letter to the
Ministra de Salud
(health minister), Marķa
Luisa Avila, to begin an
investigation into the
issuing of the permit to
the importer of the
beer.
The IAFA director made
it clear that she feels
that the beer should be
taken off the market.
Salud minister Avila
said yesterday that the
importer has the
necessary permits and
that the label presented
to them has no
indication of cannabis
in the product. The
minister said that a
preliminary
investigation after
several complaints
received prompted the
product to be analyzed
by the OIJ.
The results, according
to the health minister,
found that the brew
contains a herb similar
to cannabis which is
commonly used in food
products in Europe and
is not addictive.
Representatives of the
Nikimar company, the
importer of the beer in
Costa Rica, say that the
beer is legal and has
been importing it for
the last four years,
complying with all
requirements demanded by
Costa Rican authorities.
Carol Guevara, Nikimar's
general manager, said
that the beer contains
no narcotic ingredients,
according to a study
conducted by the
Universidad de Costa
Rica. Guevara added that
in Switzerland marijuana
is also illegal and if
the beer contained
cannabis it could not be
legally produced and
sold there.
The beer has fostered
controversy after
advertising labels for
the product contained a
cannabis leaf on the
cap, which is used a
subliminal message, but
in now way means it
induce people to smoke
marijuana. |
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