North America is slowly gaining traction in the world of legalized cannabis. Canada already made the move to legalize marijuana, and now Mexico is right on its heels. According to a report from the New York Times, Mexico is barreling towards legalizing the plant, which would make the country the biggest market in the world for weed.
Mexico’s lower house has approved a bill that aims to legalize recreational marijuana use. The legislation passed Wednesday in a vote of 316 to 129. “Today we are in a historic moment,” Simey Olvera, a lawmaker with the governing Morena party, said. “With this, the false belief that cannabis is part of Mexico’s serious public health problems is left behind.” In the early 1900s, the United States used a slanderous campaign against Mexicans to demonize cannabis use, which led to many of the laws the US is still grappling with today when it comes to legalization.
The bill is headed to Mexico’s Senate for review and revisions. If passed, the law would allow the cultivation, sale, research, transformation, export, and import of cannabis. Citizens 18 and up can indulge, and can grow up to six plants for personal use. They would also be allowed to carry up to 28 grams.
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