Mexico Legalizes Medical Cannabis and What it means for the US
Mexico Legalizes Medical Marijuana from CannabisNet on Vimeo.
Somewhere in mid-June, the Mexican federal government passed a law that legalizes medical cannabis in Mexico. They have currently 180 days to figure out what that means, but for the most part…cannabis will be legal for medical consumption within the next six months in Mexico.
Additionally, the psychoactive part of cannabis, THC, is now classified as “Therapeutic” under Mexican Law. While the new law isn’t creating the framework for marijuana dispensaries, it is a massive move in a country that has been very conservative when it comes to drug use.
The biggest issue of the conservatives is that they equate cannabis consumption with drug violence. This is also due to ‘yellow journalism’ that frequently cites “marijuanos” as the worst of the worst, linking them to crime and so forth.
Despite the fact that 66% of the country was not in favor of legalization, the Senate passed the measure 347-7 in April and the document was signed by Enrique Peña Nieto, the current president of Mexico on June 21st.
Essentially, the entire cannabis marketplace will now be in the hands of the Ministry of Health to draft and implement public regulations on the plant. Additionally, the Ministry is tasked with additional research into the plant prior to expanding the boundaries of the policies.
An obvious opposition to legalization was the Catholic Church which said in a statement; “A drug is a drug even if it’s sold as a soft medicinal balm. Bad Mexican copycats emulate the neighbor to put on the table of ‘sane democracy’ a bleak, absurd and counterproductive debate…Recreational marijuana is a placebo to ease the pain of the social destruction in which we irremediably wallow.”
The Church, as I mentioned in my previous articles about cannabis and religion, is usually staunchly opposed to legalization measures for a wide number of reasons. However, as my own theory states, “The Church only wants to keep cannabis illegal because it interferes with their propaganda about the afterlife”, yet that is another story.
What does Mexican Legalization Mean for the US?
For starters, by the end of 2017 the United States will be surrounded by two nations that have legal cannabis in the books. Of course, Mexico will take a bit longer to reach the same maturity as Canada, however don’t think for a second that Mexico will stay behind. Say what you will about the Mexicans, they are an innovative bunch of people who have an eye for industry.
The United States will be pressured to follow suit or face the danger of being ‘left behind’ in the global cannabis race. Sure, there are plenty of States that have legal cannabis systems in place, the biggest problem is the Federal government trying their hardest to keep the industry down.
As the two nations surrounding the US moves towards full legalization, they will implement banking regulations, tax reductions and so forth like any other business. This will allow the Cannabis industry in these two countries to expand much quicker than in the United States.
Additionally, we can expect to see international trade occurring between Canada and Mexico as growing the raw material for cannabis based medicines would be infinitely cheaper to do in Mexico. In turn, Mexico will benefit from the cannabis products Canada would be sending back down.
Also, it’s important to note that medical cannabis legalization in Mexico is only the beginning. The Ministry of Health will be conducting research into the plant and eventually will expand the parameters of the law, in all likeliness creating a legal recreational market.
If the United States hasn’t legalized cannabis by this time, then we will see an influx of cheap cannabis coming from the north and the south of the US. This could potentially hurt the legal cannabis industry in the US if they don’t play ball.
What it means for the global war on drugs?
Mexico has been a significant player in the War on Drugs. Realizing that the drug war has failed, they are starting to move towards more health-based solutions and in turn is sending a strong signal to the world that it’s time for a change. With over 160,000 dead due to drug violence in Mexico, it’s refreshing to see the politicians moving towards more sensible policies.
The Domino Effect will occur more rapidly in Latin America now that Mexico has legalized medical cannabis and within the next few years we can expect more countries to follow suit. Cannabis is changing the world one country at a time and I for one, someone who lives in Mexico, is more than happy to welcome cannabis into the country.
I’ll keep you guys posted on how the industry develops overtime and to see whether my predictions on a global scale pans out.
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