Oaxaca Moves To Allow Responsible Cannabis Use In Public Spaces

Mexico has been on the cusp of full adult-use legalization for multiple years now. In October 2018 Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that cannabis prohibition as it applied to personal use was unconstitutional. Since that time lawmakers have tried and failed to pass a measure to completely legalize cannabis for adult use and create a legal, national adult-use market.

City officials in Oaxaca have apparently taken matters into their own hands and issued a directive to local police to leave cannabis consumers alone, even when they are consuming cannabis in public spaces. Per Mexico News Daily:

The use of marijuana for recreational purposes has not yet been legalized in Mexico, but pot smokers can find an oasis in Oaxaca city.

The city government has advised police not to bother people smoking weed in public places in the state capital.

In an official letter directed to members of the Plantón 4:20 – pro-marijuana protesters who have occupied the El Llano park in recent months – and cannabis consumers in general, the city government reiterated its commitment to respecting human rights and noted that there is no municipal law that expressly prohibits the “personal responsible consumption of cannabis in public spaces.”

Below is the full letter, via the embedded tweet below:

La municipalidad de #Oaxaca @MunicipioOaxaca ha sentado un precedente histórico en reconocer los derechos de las personas usuarias de #cannabis y crear una descriminalización basada en la DGI 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Felicidades a todas las personas involucradas 💚💚💚 pic.twitter.com/wIyzg33OcU

— Zara Snapp (@zarasnapp) April 14, 2022

This is great news for cannabis consumers in Oaxaca. Hopefully it becomes a standard policy throughout Mexico, and beyond.