Mexico supreme court to discuss legalizing recreational marijuana
Mexico’s supreme court plans to discuss a proposal that could effectively legalize the consumption and production of marijuana for recreational use in a session at the end of October.
Judges will vote on whether to declare unconstitutional parts of a federal health law prohibiting the growth and consumption of marijuana after a nonprofit group filed an injunction against a 2013 decision by health regulator Cofepris.
The hearing is set for Oct. 28, according to documents on the supreme court’s website.
In August, a lower court in Mexico granted a mother and father the right to import a marijuana-based medicine to treat their 8-year-old daughter’s epilepsy.
Marijuana, along with cocaine and crystal meth, has been a major source of income for violent drug cartels responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in Mexico.
Political pressure on Mexico to liberalize its stance on marijuana has been rising since the U.S. states of Washington and Colorado legalized possession and sale of the drug for recreational use in 2012.
(Reporting by Tomas Sarmiento; Writing by Christine Murray; Editing by Matthew Lewis)