News

Mexican Senate approves legalization of recreational cannabis

Mexico City, Nov 19 (EFE).- The Mexican Senate approved the legalization of recreational cannabis Thursday, a historic step to alleviate the human rights crisis and consolidate the country as an industrial cannabis power, although activists warn that it is insufficient and must overcome legislative pitfalls.With 82 votes in favor, 18 against and seven abstentions, the Senate endorsed the creation of the law and the Mexican Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis, in addition to reforms to the General Health Law and the penal code that prohibit the recreational use of marijuana.Although the endorsement of the Chamber of Deputies is still missing, the historical legislation would place Mexico together with Canada and Uruguay as the only countries that have regulated recreational marijuana, the leader of the Movement for Legalization, Lorena Beltrán, told EFE. (Camera: MIGUEL ANGEL ANDRADE).B-ROLL OF CANNABIS AND CANNABIS USERS IN MEXICO CITY, MEXICO. SOUND BITES: LORENA BELTRÁN, THE LEADER OF THE MOVEMENT FOR LEGALIZATION, AND JUAN PABLO IBARRA, OF THE MEXICAN CANNABIS MOVEMENT (IN SPANISH). TRANSLATION:LORENA BELTRÁN 1. If Mexico approves, we would be the third country in the world to legalize all uses at the federal level. This would give us a great boost at the international level to position ourselves as what we are, the main cannabis industry in the world. (00:28-00:45).2. We urgently need this industry for Mexico. It is the best news of 2020, after this economic crisis and health crisis, the cannabis industry arrives to support us with jobs, with quality of life, with many very positive things. (01:12-01:28).JUAN PABLO IBARRA 1. Basically, we want marijuana to stop being classified as a substance with certain medicinal benefits and a great risk for society, when the opposite is true – it has little risk for society and brings many benefits. (01:46-01:59).