President Enrique Peña Nieto has said Mexico will legalize marijuana for medicinal use.
The announcement was made at the United Nations general assembly and represents a major shift for a leader that has previously opposed all types of drug reform in the country.
Peña Nieto went even further and said he would also raise the amount of marijuana that would de-criminalized for personal consumption. He described its use a public health problem and called for policies that did not punish users.
“I give voice to those who have expressed the need to update the regulatory framework to authorize the use of marijuana for medical and scientific ends,” Peña Nieto said.
The announcements follow a Mexican Supreme Court decision last November to give four people permission to grow cannabis at home. Since that ruling, the topic has been hotly debated in forums across the country, including in Jalisco.
According to the president, these forums “showed the need to lift, in accordance with international standards, the amount of marijuana that can be considered for personal use, with the purpose of not criminalizing users.”
Most of the arguments for legalization have focused on the fact that it is a major source of revenue for criminal cartel.
Last month, Interior Minister Miguel Osorio said the primary aim of drug policy should be weakening the illegal market.