Mexico Moves to Legalize Marijuana

Catholic officials have condemned a Mexican Supreme Court ruling on recreational marijuana use, which they say could put the country on the path to legalization.

Although personal possession of small quantities of marijuana has been legal for just over a decade, its cultivation and sale has been outlawed in Mexico since 1926.

The group, the Society for Responsible and Tolerant Personal Consumption (or SMART in Spanish), fought the Mexican government over a cannabis permit request for more than two years - not because they really wanted to get high, but because they want to reduce cartel violence and believe repealing drug prohibition is the best way to do that, as reported by Quartz. Additionally, American states with legal marijuana industries have significantly cut into demand for Mexican cannabis in the US - a trend that's likely to increase as more states push for legalization. For that to happen, at least four other individuals or groups would have to receive similar rulings from Mexico's Supreme Court. But the court's ruling may eventually extend to everyone seeking to grow or consume the drug.

"No one has said at all that marijuana is harmless". "What is being resolved here is that total prohibition is a disproportionate measure". Santos acknowledged that while poor farmers are penalized for cultivating marijuana, a few states in the US have either legalized the drug or have taken strides toward legalizing it. The Catholic Church in Mexico came out strongly against legalization.

But legalizing marijuana in Mexico alone won't drive cartels out of business.

An anticipated ruling by the Mexican Supreme Court lays the foundation for the country to implement cannabis legalization.

Zaldívar said the ruling would forbid smoking marijuana in front of others without their consent. For example, drinking in the street is forbidden in many parts of Mexico. "And in this case, it's up to the people of Mexico to decide which drug policies are most appropriate for their country within the framework of global law". "We have to see what limits will be", she added, referring to maximum allowed quantities and where or how consumption would be allowed.

"If these are unconstitutional for us, they should be unconstitutional for the entire population", Francisco Torres Landa, a lawyer and one of the four told the press. Both governments could unite in making clear that the ruling, plus next year's probable legalization of recreational use in California, make the war on drugs unmanageable. The poll had a margin of error of four percentage points. That's largely because marijuana is not a "key product" for cartels anymore, according to Quartz.

"The Mafia abandoned alcohol", said Mark Kleiman, a drug policy expert who advised regulators in the USA state of Washington as they drafted marijuana regulations. However, it represents a significant step away from the prohibitionist policies that Mexico has pursued in the past.