Cannabis legislation in Mexico may be around the corner as a bill to legalize the plant in the country is one step closer to final passage.
The measure, which passed the Senate in 2020, was sent back to there after a revised form had been approved by the Chamber of Deputies.
A key Senate committee advanced the amended legislation toward a final floor vote on Monday in a 6-5 tally, with two more panels set to take it up in the coming weeks. It is expected to go before the full chamber by the end of the month.
No new revisions have been made to the bill by members of the Senate committee. The Senate Health and Legislative Studies Committees are the next stops for the bill.
Legislation had been expected to happen in 2019, but the court has had multiple extensions with the latest deadline set for the end of the month.
Sen. Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar of the ruling MORENA party said last month that “at this time, it is important to legislate in the terms that are presented to us.” he has also said it is important to consider additional revisions to cannabis laws through subsequent bills.
Senate Majority Leader Ricardo Monreal Avila said there is a “thorough review” underway by committees in the body about “whether this law will contribute to a decrease in crime and a decrease in fatalities.”
Under the proposed legislation, adults 18 and older in the country would be allowed to buy and possess up to 28 grams of the drug and cultivate up to six plants for personal use.
