Legislative Process Moves Ahead…Slowly

Deadline for Legislative Action Extended into 2020

Despite a Supreme Court mandated deadline of October 31 to establish cannabis regulations, the Mexican Senate decided to press ahead with comprehensive legislation rather than submit a very limited bill to meet the immediate requirements established by the Court. When it became clear that the deadline would be missed, Senate President and Morena party leader Ricardo Monreal announced that the legislative body would ask the Supreme Court to extend the deadline for, literally, a few weeks to give it time to pass legislation for “reasons of State.” He also insisted that the Senate would not succumb to pressure from stakeholders and other interested parties who had been seeking to influence the outcome of the debate. Monreal suggested that a delay was necessary to “let waters settle” and to review the law and international experiences. Summarizing the debate at the time, Monreal indicated that several additional issues needed to be addressed or reassessed, including, among other things, whether seeds must be imported, if and how consumers must register, and the number of plants permitted for individuals. How to address addiction was also raised as a concern as was the proposal to set aside 20% of the licenses for residents of areas impacted by the drug trade.

In response, on November 2, the Supreme Court granted an extension until the end of the current legislative session on April 30, 2020. The extension was much longer than requested or anticipated. Given that no cannabis legislation was prioritized for passage before the Senate broke for the holidays on December 12, the Mexican Congress and government will take advantage of the extra legislative time to extend debate into 2020 and give it time to address the many specific aspects that require more attention and clarification.

Full Report: Cannabis in Mexico – December 2019

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