Mexico Moves To Legalize Marijuana

 

MEXICO

Legalize It

Mexican lawmakers are creating legislation to legalize marijuana before a mid-December deadline imposed by Mexico’s Supreme Court, the Washington Post reported.

The bill would allow private companies to cultivate and sell marijuana to the public. It also allows an individual to own up to six plants. Consumers are required to register for government licenses to grow the plant.

Advocates for the measure have long argued that legalization would put a dent in the black market, create jobs and decrease crime from gangs and cartels.

However, they warn that the proposed law favors large corporations over small businesses and family-owned farms while doing the bare minimum to address the roots of Mexico’s illegal drug trade.

Marijuana has long been a controversial issue in the conservative country: Polls show that about 60 percent of Mexicans believe that the drug should stay illegal. Its cultivation has been funding many of the drug cartels responsible for the high homicide rates in the country.

Mexico banned the drug in the early 20th century but more than a decade ago, lawmakers decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Subsequent court rulings helped to loosen regulations, culminating in a 2018 Supreme Court decision which found that banning cannabis violated the constitutional rights of Mexicans.