Full Scoop on Cannabis Legalization in Mexico

Nov 8th, Senator Olga Sánchez Cordero, who was chosen by AMLO to be the  interior secretary has proposed a 26 page bill to basically legalize cannabis for all of Mexico.

Some of the things allowed within this bill:

• The ability to smoke cannabis any place other than locations already designated No Smoking zones
• The ability for the average citizen to grow upto 20 plants per year (indoor or outdoor)
• The ability for the average person to have on them 30 grams of cannabis at a time   
• The ability to travel with larger quantities if a permit is obtained
• The ability to sell after certain requirements are met.
• The ability to produce up to 17 ounces (480 grams) a year 

Some things will still be illegal:

• Edibles will be illegal as they will be tempting to children 
• Driving while high will be illegal

The Supreme Court on Oct 31st of 2018 made 2 judgements stating it was unconstitutional to restrict the right of grown adults to put cannabis into their own bodies. These 2 rulings where the last needed to for the government to retroactively legalize cannabis if the Supreme court didn't reverse its rulings. The government had 90 days to make such reversals. It seems AMLO has followed through in his campaign promises to take a different stance on drugs laws in Mexico and even considered offering amnesty to those people in the illicit drug trade.  

In 2016, the Mexican government decriminalized certain amounts of drugs and began issuing permits to select individuals to grow cannabis in Mexico. Even so, the government in many areas showed to take a hard nosed view on citizens having any amount of cannabis. 

With the current bill being presented to the both Senate houses, which after the recently elections, are controlled by AMLOs left party, its likely to pass without any issues. The current plan for voting on the bill is speculated within the week of being presented, so we could all be having a VERY Feliz Navidad down here in Mexico. If the bill passes, it would put Mexico in unique group of countries that fully legalized Cannabis, including Uruguay and Canada.

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