Mexican Supreme Court Calls Off Recreational Cannabis Prohibition
Mexico’s supreme court nullified the laws against cannabis consumption and cultivation last Monday, 5 years after declaring cannabis prohibition unconstitutional. The decision allows adults to apply for a permit that allows the possession of cannabis and cultivation in small quantities for personal use.
A Step Forward Towards Cannabis Consumers Rights
According to RIA, a Mexican organization that investigates innovative public policies, the decision is a step forward for the rights of the cannabis community but congress still needs work in order to regulate the cannabis market in a socially righteous way. The decriminalization of recreational cannabis was approved with the overwhelming approval of 8 to 3 and thanks to the decision, Mexican citizens can now apply for a permit from Cofepris (the country’s health department) to obtain cannabis legally and, with the permit, adult consumers can possess up to 28 grams of cannabis for personal use.
Also, along with decriminalizing possession, the court ruled that consumers can apply for a permit to grow small amounts of cannabis for personal use, which is a huge step towards a cannabis-legal nation. Those who are able to get said permit will be able to cultivate and possess cannabis but are prohibited from consuming it in the presence of minors and cannot, under any circumstance, perform activities that may be potentially dangerous, such as driving under the influence of cannabis.
Where It All Started
Mexico’s Supreme Court first affirmed that the prohibition of cannabis for personal use is unconstitutional back in 1995, claiming that people have the right to develop their personality however they wish to. Back then, the court allowed four people to cultivate, transport, and consume cannabis for recreational use but experts demanded that if the prohibition is unconstitutional for a select group of people, it should also be for the entire nation.
This led to Mexico legalizing cannabis-derived products with less than 1% THC for medical use, which got the people’s attention, and with this, the nation received more and more petitions for recreational cannabis use. With this in mind, the court asked lawmakers to legalize cannabis for recreational use within 90 days but the deadline was then extended until December 2020.
This year, Mexico approved the plans to fully legalize recreational cannabis but the laws have not been approved yet, meaning that it will happen eventually but it’s not clear when.
The Largest Recreational Cannabis Market In The World
Despite not everyone agreeing with the decision, this is a huge win for the people of Mexico, by analyzing the market data, experts say that Mexico would become the largest federally legal recreational cannabis market in the world, only staying behind California. Investors see Mexico as an attractive opportunity given the high number of cannabis consumers and affirm that there already are cannabis companies in Mexico actively investing and seeking ways to take advantage once the market opens.
With this ruling, the United States has become the only nation with federal marijuana prohibition in North America, pressuring politicians into legalizing cannabis at a federal level and becoming more evident that cannabis will be legalized globally, it’s just a matter of time.
