Mexico: cannabis legalization project presented to Senate committees

Mexico's Senate committees on justice, health, and legislation have received the bill to legalize cannabis, according to Milenio. The bill is expected to be presented to committee members next Thursday, with a vote on the final proposal to take place before the end of October, as mandated by the Supreme Court.

The latter did in fact rule in November 2018 that the ban on cannabis was unconstitutional and violated the fundamental right to the free development of the personality, and required the government to legalize it by October 23, 2019.

The proposal has not yet been made public. However, the newspaper Milenio reports that it would create an Institute for the Control and Regulation of Cannabis, allow possession of 30 grams of cannabis, and raise the possession limits for other drugs, that it would authorize cannabis cultivation in the country’s poorest areas, and that it would release thousands of people currently in prison for drug-related offenses.

The exact form or timeline for the legalization is not known. However, in another interview with Milenio, Senator Julio Ramon Menchaca, chairman of the Justice Committee, said given A few hints about the project:

• Mexico will not promote cannabis use, but will simply comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling. The goal is to decriminalize cannabis.
• The regulatory model will be a blend of the views of those who advocate for absolute state control and those who advocate for strong market freedom. Menchaca cites Colorado as an example.