It’s been almost three years since the Mexico Supreme Court declared prohibition of personal possession and cultivation of cannabis as unconstitutional. Since then, the Supreme Court left decriminalization and legal sale regulations up to lawmakers in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber of Deputies is equivalent to the House of Representatives in the U.S.
The previous session, taking place at the beginning of 2021, saw cannabis legalization come close. It passed the Chamber of Deputies and a few Senate committees. Unfortunately, the bill stalled at the end of the session. Senators couldn’t come to a consensus on the Chamber’s approved amendments.
Taking matters into their own hands, the Supreme Court decriminalized cannabis across the country. Lawmakers now only need to set laws for legal cannabis sale regulations. They entered into their next regular session on September 1. The Senate Majority Leader, Ricardo Moreal Avila (MORENA party), recently said legalization will receive priority.
Response
Senator Moreal Avila explained, “With the beginning of the LXV Legislature, a new possibility was opened to discuss and approve this long-delayed law, which would put an end to 100 years of prohibitionist policy and criminalization of the consumption of the cannabis flower, opening, in turn, a multimillion dollar market nationally and internationally, which could be beneficial for the economic reactivation of our country.”
“At this point in the legislative process, dialogue in both chambers should be privileged to achieve a project that can be voted positively, guaranteeing rights and freedoms of all the people involved through institutions empowered to do so, eradicating discriminatory treatment and solving possible ambiguities,” the senator continued. “In other words, the debate is still alive, and in the parliamentary majority of the Senate of the Republic we will continue working to offer citizens a law that meets their needs.”
According to Senator Moreal Avila, a bill for legal sales, once introduced, will receive heavy debate. It should take priority in order to comply with the Supreme Court demands. However, it could still be a while before a legal sale bill becomes introduced. Only time will tell.
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