Mexico is on its way to legalizing medical marijuana. President Enrique Peña Nieto said his government will soon announce new measures in legalizing medicinal cannabis, and decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use.
During the United Nation's Drug Policy Summit in New York, President Peña Nieto told UN that his government is enlisting views from Mexican opinion leaders on how to effectively control the stream of illegal drugs while exploring alternative ways than to strict enforcement regulation.
"As president of Mexico, in this special session, I give voice to those [Mexican opinion leaders] who expressed the need to update, within the confines of the law, the use of marijuana for medical and scientific purposes," Peña Nieto said.
Peña Nieto also said that drug use should be addressed as a "public health problem" and users should not be criminalized, according to CNN. The president's statement also links to Mexico's law that allows possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use. Under the health code, a citizen allows possession of up to 5 grams of marijuana, 50 milligrams of cocaine and 40 milligrams of meth, among others.
According to Latin Post, Mexico tried to implement strict regularization on drug consumption under the regime of former President Felipe Calderon for over six years. But it only proved costly and Mexicans suffered after drug cartels come apart following the arrests and deaths of many of their leaders.
"The participants in the forums also spoke about the importance of increasing, in accordance with international standards, the amount of marijuana that can be considered for personal use with the goal of decriminalizing consumers," Peña Nieto said.
Peña Nieto, who has been a vocal opponent of drug legalization, also urged for a global shift in dealing with drug consumption while fighting organized crime. "We need to define better solutions," the president said, "from a perspective of human rights, prevention and public health to put people's welfare at the center [of our agenda]."
Mexico is considering the legalization of medical marijuana. This also means that personal drug consumption in small quantities can be decriminalized, rather than implementing strict regularization.
