The Chamber of Deputies has generally approved the decriminalization and regulation of the recreational use of marijuana

Mexico gave one more step towards opening one of the largest national marijuana markets in the world, seeking to be the third country in the world, along with Uruguay and Canada, to legalize their personal recreational consumption.

The The Chamber of Deputies approved this Wednesday, in general, the decriminalization and regulation of recreational consumption – Called “adult consumption” – marijuana across the country, in one of the most extensive, controversial and discussed pending laws of recent years and certainly one of the most important in the current LXIV legislature.

With a fragmented vote, carried primarily by Morena, the majority party in Congress, MPs voted 316 in favor of the opinion with which the federal law for the regulation of cannabis is issued and reform and add various provisions of the General Health Law and the Federal Criminal Code. Against, 127 voted and 23 abstentions.

Now, the Plenary of San Lázaro will move on to the discussion of reserved articles. Sources from the Chamber of Deputies informed Infobae Mexico that legislators registered 215 notice reservations, for which several additional hours of parliamentary discussion are expected.

Due to the fact that the approved opinion will present substantially different modifications to the project approved by the Senate last November, following the San Lázaro process, the document must return to the upper house, which will study the changes made and vote for their ratification or rejection.

The debate was, as expected, intense and rapid. The experienced deputy Pablo Gomez, of the Morenista majority, defended the decision as “the first major step in reversing years of prohibitions that have resulted in violence, persecution and they led to the crushing of a freedom ”.

It is this freedom that is claimed today, that of young people, who were the greatest victims of prohibition.

For Mexico, decriminalization and regulation of recreational marijuana use in the country reportedly comes after decades of internal war “against drug trafficking” which has resulted in increasing rates of violence and insecurity over the years and despite changes in governments and strategies.

However, among disgruntled lawmakers, one of the arguments related to the lack of consumer protection because, they complained, the opinion focused on marketing and not on privacy and human rights, as ordered by the Supreme Court.

The deputy Laura Rojas, of the adversary STOVE (National Action Party), stood against because, among other reasons, It is an opinion which does not sufficiently protect minors and which would give regulatory powers to the National Drug Addiction Commission when it has no experience. on the subject, such as Cofepris (Federal Commission for the Protection against Health Risks).

“I can’t guarantee it because it just fell short», Condemned the former president of the Chamber of Deputies. Other lawmakers have quoted Frida Kahlo, one of Mexico’s most popular and renowned painters, who once said that when she smoked cannabis she could “hear the color of the world” to defend the decision.

Other they paraphrased William Shakespeare. “To smoke or not to smoke, that is the question”said another legislator. A bit more they referred to prohibitionism in the United States by Prohibition and the parallels with marijuana a century later.

The opinion, while waiting for the deputies to decide in the discussion on the specificity of the reservations, raises decriminalization of up to 28 grams of cannabis and between six and eight marijuana plants at home.

It also permits the production by associations of cannabis for the consumption of associates for recreational purposes; production for marketing and sale for recreational purposes; production for research purposes; and the production of hemp for industrial purposes.

Article 11 specifies that “People over eighteen have the right to consume psychoactive cannabis.” “Consumption must be carried out without affecting third parties, in particular minors. The consumption of cannabis is prohibited in so-called “100% smoke-free” places, as well as in schools, public and private, at any level of education. The signs, logos and emblems established by the Commission will be affixed in these places ”, the provision reads.

In addition, the opinion notes that It will be prohibited to perform any type of paid work or activity under the influence of cannabis psychoactive. The recreational use of psychoactive cannabis by persons under the age of eighteen will also be prohibited, but minor offenders will not be subject to any penalty.

On the other hand, the sale of psychoactive cannabis and its derivatives for recreational purposes will be carried out exclusively on national territory, in establishments approved by the Commission under the terms of the law.

Regarding the Cannabis non-profit associations can be formed to cultivate and own psychoactive cannabis plants For consumption by associates for recreational purposes. Associations must be made up of at least two and a maximum of 20 people older. In addition, they should be limited to growing up to four plants per limb, not to exceed 50 plants in any case.

Regarding the administrative penalties, fines approved They range from 60 to 3000 UMA (Unit of measurement and update), that is to say from 5,377 to nearly 270,000 pesos (between $ 270 and $ 13,900), in addition to association closures, product seizures, license suspensions or cancellations and even Arrest up to 36 hours.

Likewise, In cases where a person is in possession of more than 28 grams and up to 200 grams of cannabis, without the authorizations referred to in this law and the general law on health, he will be returned to the authority competent administrative authority, in accordance with what is established by the Law on Civic Culture of Mexico City or its counterpart in federative entities, without prejudice to its name.

In his case, the sanction will be a fine of between 60 and 120 times the daily value of the AMU. That is from 5,377 to 10,700 pesos (from $ 270 to $ 535). Fines for those who employ minors for these jobs, fines will be as high as 270,000 pesos (USD 13,900).

Among the changes proposed by the notice to General health law there is article 475 Bis, which specifies that A prison sentence of one to three years in prison and a fine of two hundred to four hundred days will be imposed on those who, without the authorization provided by the federal law on the regulation of cannabis, the trade or the supply, even to free title, psychoactive cannabis in an amount exceeding two hundred grams.

Yes The Senate on Wednesday showed its commitment to the regulation and decriminalization of the recreational use of marijuana and assured that there would be reconciliation when the Chamber of Deputies modifies the bill approved in recent months.

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