Mexico: the Senate will vote this week on the proposed legalization of cannabis

The Mexican Senate is scheduled to hold a joint hearing in the Senate Committee on Justice, Health, and Legislative Studies on the cannabis legalization bill this Friday and may put it to a vote on the floor. The proposal will then go before the Senate next Tuesday.

The bill establishes a regulated cannabis market in Mexico, which would allow adults aged 18 and older to purchase and possess up to 28g of cannabis and grow up to 4 plants for personal use, according to the latest version of the bill.

Mexico has been working on its cannabis reform ever since the country’s Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that the ban on cannabis possession and cultivation was unconstitutional. The court ordered Congress to amend the law accordingly, but lawmakers have struggled to reach a consensus on the issue and have been granted several extensions to adopt the policy change.

Several Senate committees have already approved the bill this year. The current deadline The deadline to legalize cannabis is December 15.

The current text could still be improved, particularly by softening the punitive approach to the remaining future violations and by making the proposal more inclusive, according to Mexican activists.

The bill states that during the first five years following implementation, at least 40% of cannabis operating licenses must be granted to individuals from Indigenous, low-income, or historically marginalized communities. The Mexican Cannabis Institute would be responsible for regulating the market and issuing licenses.

Public consumption of cannabis would be permitted, except in places where smoking is prohibited or at mass gatherings where people under 18 could be exposed.

Households with more than one adult would be limited to growing a maximum of 6 plants. The bill also states that people «should not» consume cannabis in homes where minors are present. Possession of more than 28g but less than 200g would be considered an offense punishable by a fine but not by imprisonment.

If the Senate passes the cannabis legalization bill, the bill will still have to be presented to the other chamber of the National Congress, the Chamber of Deputies.