CBD and Hemp Markets May Form More Rapidly
Legislative Activity
While the current COVID-19 crisis may impact deadlines and workflow, the underlying determination of the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) to legalize the production and use of cannabis for recreational and medicinal purposes remains firm as does the emphasis on addressing the needs of communities most impacted by the illegal drug trade and on prioritizing access for medicinal, pharmaceutical, or palliative use. Since the last edition of this newsletter, the Mexican Senate released revised versions of the proposed cannabis legislation in January and February in order to comply with the Supreme Court-mandated deadline of April 30 (when the Mexican Congress is scheduled to adjourn). The February draft version (on which the following comments are based) was approved by a joint session of the Justice, Health, and Legislative commissions on March 3 with support from the Morena, Movimiento Ciudadano, and PRD delegations. The PAN delegation opposed the draft bill because of concerns about certain specific provisions while PRI senators abstained. The full Senate began its deliberations on the current working draft during the week of March 9. Additional changes to the legislation are likely given the wide range of viewpoints expressed to date by supporters and opponents of legalization.
In view of the COVID-19 situation, it is not possible at the time of this writing to predict with certainty whether the mandated deadline of April 30 can be met. We discuss this situation in greater detail below.
In order to chart the progression of thinking about legalization of cannabis in Mexico, this edition of our newsletter compares changes between the October draft legislation (addressed in our December edition) and the version that is now on the floor of the full Senate. We encourage interested readers to contact us with specific questions about the dictamen.
Full Report: Cannabis in Mexico – April 2020
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