Mexico: cannabis legalization bill unveiled

Over the weekend, the Mexican government unveiled a bill to legalize cannabis. The bill was presented last week to the Health, Justice, Public Safety and Legislation Committees, which have announced that they will remain in permanent session to finalize the bill before the Supreme Court-imposed legalization deadline of October 23.

Committees are expected to formally vote on the bill in the next few days, after which it will head to the full Senate and then the Chamber of Deputies. A vote in the National Assembly could take place before the end of the month, although it is possible to ask the Supreme Court for an extension.

The bill is available here. It aims to «improve the living conditions of the people of the United Mexican States, combat the consequences of problematic cannabis use and reduce drug-related crime [while] promoting the peace, security and well-being of individuals and communities» and regulates all uses of cannabis: personal, scientific, medical or industrial.

The most important points to remember:

• the Mexican Cannabis Institute (Instituto Mexicano del Cannabis) will be in charge of controlling and regulating all cannabis-related activities and distributing related licenses (cultivation, processing, sale, export/import), as well as implementing cannabis-related public health policies.
• any adult over 18 will be able to possess cannabis for personal use, grow up to 4 plants and buy cannabis in authorized stores
• consumption in public places is prohibited, as well as in crowded areas
• Cannabis Clubs will be able to grow 4 plants per member and distribute the harvest to members
• no restrictions on the sale of products processed from hemp, as long as they comply with the Cannabis Act and applicable regulations. Visit hemp is defined by the maximum limit of 1% of THC
• low-income earners, small farmers and indigenous peoples will be given priority for licenses
• strict restrictions will be imposed on packaging: neutral, standardized packets with no depictions of real or fictional people, no testimonials, resistant to opening by children, cannabinoid levels displayed...
• The following are prohibited: the use of cannabis in cosmetics, edible products or beverages (except for medical users), the use of pesticides and other fungicides for cannabis cultivation, consumption by pregnant or breast-feeding women, products containing only THC or which do not comply with the THC:CBD ratios defined by the Institute...

The law will come into force on the day following its publication in the Journal Officiel, and may be revised in the year following its implementation to optimize its operation.

The text is largely based on the proposal presented last year by Senator and current Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero, into which a dozen other cannabis reform bills introduced since then have been merged.