Mexico’s Supreme Court overturns country’s ban on recreational marijuana

It looks like Mexico will be the next nation to legalize recreational marijuana as the country's Supreme Court reaches two new rulings this week. According to Mexican law now all judges in the country must follow the Supreme Court judgement if a prosecution is brought into the courtroom, though now it may be less likely despite arrests over marijuana still being possible. Citing the Constitution of Mexico where there is a fundamental right to free development of personality, as long as the substance does not present enough risk to others or the user then there is no justifiable reason to prohibit an adult from pursuing that choice. After the ruling the Mexican Cogress has 90 days to fit the ruling into their new drug laws, but that doesn't mean legislators will legalize the sale of cannabis. One possibility would allow the possession and use of cannabis while not regulating the sale of the plant, similar to how Verming and Washington D.C. are.

The Mexican Congress now has 90 days to rewrite the nation’s drug laws to comply with the rulings, “at which point the reform will assume de jure status,” according to Transform. It remains unclear what Congress will do in response to the ruling. While it could set up a system involving taxation and commercial sales, it could also adopt a more limited approach that would make marijuana possession and use legal but not sales. That’s similar to the regulatory situation in Vermont and the District of Columbia.