Mexican Congress Passes Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

Mexico may be the third country to decriminalize marijuana. (Piqsels)

Mexico’s Lower House of Congress approved a bill on March 10 that would decriminalize recreational cannabis use for those 18 and older, marking a significant step towards legalizing marijuana in the country. 

The bill passed with a majority of 316-127 and now heads to the Senate, where analysts expect it to pass. The final step would see Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), who has voiced support for the measure, sign the bill. 

The result was unsurprising given Mexico’s recent history. In 2017, Congress approved the use of medical marijuana, and in 2018, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled a complete ban on recreational marijuana unconstitutional.

A version of the current bill passed through the Senate in November of 2020, but the Lower House amended it and removed a provision that would have created a Mexican Institute for Regulation and Control of Cannabis. The government opted instead to make the existing National Council Against Addictions responsible for regulating marijuana. 

The Mexican government sees marijuana decriminalization as a way to help end its war on drugs. AMLO, who ran on the promise of ending the violent conflict, hopes that decreasing the demand for illegally-produced drugs will choke off the money supply of criminal gangs. 

If the bill becomes law, Mexico, with a population of 120 million, will become the world’s largest cannabis market. This could create a huge opportunity for an economy that has declined in recent years. However, the bill places a limit on how much of the drug individual citizens can grow and carry, which activists worry could hurt small-scale producers while helping larger corporations. 

Critics of the bill argue that in addition to hurting smaller producers, it will do little to curb gang violence. They claim that gains no longer focus on marijuana production and have instead turned their attention towards more profitable products such as fentanyl and methamphetamines. 

The bill’s critics span all sides of the political spectrum. Some, like activist Zara Snapp, claim that the bill does not go far enough. Others argue that it goes too far. Congresswoman Cynthia López Castro took to the podium on March 10, armed with 28 oregano joints, to warn that children could soon have access to marijuana that “might cause [them] to trip for four days. Is that what you want?” she asked repeatedly. 

Proponents of the bill maintain that it will create business opportunities for Mexico, potentially helping its citizens recover from pandemic-related economic hardship. Supporters also argue that it will reduce violence. Guillermo Nieto, president of the National Association for the Industry of Cannabis, said that if the bill becomes law, “The first thing that will happen is no Mexican will die or go to jail because of this plant. With this, we all win.”

Mexico is well on its way to becoming just the third country to decriminalize marijuana nationwide. This bill makes up only part of AMLO’s ultimate plan to combat gang and drug-related violence, and its success or failure will determine if the government should alter course.