Mexico Senate Announced Draft Marijuana Legalization Bill
Mexico Senate published a draft of legislation that would legalize marijuana, including allowing marijuana retail outlets to sale the plant to anyone 21 and older. The proposal was put forth by members of the justice and health committees. The Senate hopes to debate and pass the legislation during its next session, according to a High Times report, which will take place from February to April.
The new law would guarantee access to medicinal marijuana for individuals with severe qualifying health conditions, with the possession rising from five to 28 grams for individuals. Home cultivation has been expanded from four plants in previous drafts to six now (which mirrors most other states that allow personal marijuana cultivation), and individuals will be able to use an open area of up to 10,000 square meters to grow their cannabis.
“Cannabis activists claim the drag on instituting legalization amounts to nothing less than a violation of Mexicans’ constitutional rights”, states High Times. “When it became clear that lawmakers would be missing the Supreme Court’s deadline last fall, members of the cannabis community staged a camp-out in front of the Mexico City Senate building.”
The draft would establish the Mexican Institute of Cannabis, which is a governmental agency in charge of regulating cannabis within the country and granting licenses. That agency will be required to present a report by 2022 on how to improve the system.
The proposal states that those first in line for cannabis licenses will be individuals who come from the communities that suffered the most incidents of narco-trafficking and cannabis-related arrests. Licenses will be required under the new plan for research, cultivation, processing, distribution and exporting or importing.
In addition, the proposal would reduce sentencing for some cannabis-related criminal offenses.
Unfortunately marijuana-infused edibles and beverages, as well as beauty products, would be prohibited unless they contain less than 1% THC.