Mexico May Model Cannabis Industry Regulations After Canada And Colombia
By Frank Schuler
Lawmakers in Mexico continue to work on an adult-use cannabis legalization measure after previous attempts in recent years have failed. In October 2018 Mexico’s Supreme Court determined that cannabis prohibition was unconstitutional as it applied to private adult cannabis use.
Since the initial decision lawmakers in Mexico have tried to comply with a mandate from the Court that was part of the ruling which called for lawmakers to pass a measure to create a regulated adult-use cannabis industry. Several deadlines have come and gone, and provisions of a potential measure have evolved over time.
Details recently surfaced regarding what the latest framework for a regulated industry may look like in Mexico. Per El Universal (translated to English):
The Senate analyzes an initiative by legislators from Morena that seeks to replicate the current model and legal framework for cannabis that exists in Canada and Colombia, through safe and informed access for consumers, protecting public health and safety, especially of young people and children, but also trigger business opportunities and even the export of plants, seeds, flowers and derivatives.
The initiative that issues the General Law for the Regulation of Cannabis, and in which various provisions of the General Health Law and the Federal Criminal Code are reformed and added, argues that in recent years at least eight Latin American countries have approved reforms that allow the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, which has triggered business opportunities and even export various products and derivatives.
One has to assume that adult-use regulations will largely be modeled after Canada and medical regulations will possibly be modeled after Colombia, or a combination of Canada and Colombia’s medical cannabis policies.
Cannabis is legal for adult use in Canada, however, cannabis is only legal for medical purposes in Colombia currently.
It’s interesting that Uruguay’s industry model was not mentioned as being part of the proposed initiative provisions being circulated in Mexico. Uruguay’s club and pharmacy model differs greatly compared to Canada’s model which allows cannabis sales via more options, including storefronts and through online orders.
