Congress approved the public consultation, an initiative of left-of-center legislator Enrique Velasquez, on August 14. It is unclear, however, whether the 345,000 pesos required to carry out the poll in public plazas in all 125 of Jalisco’s municipalities will be made available on time.
Velasquez said this week that a loan will be taken out to ensure the plebiscite goes ahead, adding that Congress can settle the debt later. The State Electoral Institute (IEPC) will assist with the three-day public ballot. The PRD legislator said the results of the ballot would help his party in its plan to draw up legislation on the issue.
Meanwhile, Jalisco Health Secretary Jaime Gonzalez Alvarez softened his hard line attitude to the marijuana debate at a forum this week titled “Cannabis, Myths, Scientific Advances and Public Policy.”
Although standing firmly in the camp against the decriminalization of marijuana, Gonzalez said society should separate the debate about investigation into the potential medial benefits of marijuana from other issues, such as criminality and addiction.
Gonzalez said he was “open” to the opinions of experts in the field but reiterated his opposition to legalizing recreational use of the drug.
Velasquez, who organized the forum, said prohibition of drugs has proven to be a failure and it was time for laws to catch up to the modern day.