People living in Mexico with painful ailments that can been relieved with cannabis may be about to get a big break.
The federal Chamber of Deputies (lower house) last week approved a bill to permit the medical and scientific use of marijuana. The bill will be sent to the desk of President Enrique Peña Nieto, who is expected to sign it into law.
The bill passed overwhelmingly, with 374 votes in favor and just seven against, with 11 abstentions.
Moves to loosen federal laws governing the recreational use of marijuana have stalled, however.
The new law will change the nation’s penal code to permit the cultivation of marijuana for medical and scientific reasons, and the importation of marijuana derivative products for the same ends.
Some legislators noted that the law should not be misconstrued and seen as a gateway to legalizing marijuana in Mexico. Health Departments across the country will be instructed to “strengthen” programs to prevent cannabis use and drug rehabilitation programs, PRI legislator Abel Murrieta said.
Peña Nieto has welcomed the debate about marijuana laws in Mexico at a time when several U.S. states are legalizing the drug. And with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pressing to legalize marijuana in Canada, Mexico’s president believes all three nations ought to be on the same page.