The governors of Guerrero and Morelos state have asked for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to go further on drug policy.
Guerrero Governor Hector Astudillo has called for the production of poppies to be made legal in his state. According to Astudillo, the plant, which is used to make opiates such as heroin, is vital to the economy in 1,200 towns in the region. “We need to diminish the competition and violence between criminal groups for the control of production and sale of the poppy plant,” the official added.
Last week, on opening day of Mexico’s Tianguis Touristica held in Guadalajara, the city of Acapulco, Guerrero suffered a scare that dropped hotel occupancy to a level of 15 percent when drug trafficers attacked the barracks of the Federal Police in that city, setting off a gun battle that had tourists hidding in stores that pulled down their metal doors while the bullets rained.
Meanwhile, Morelos Governor Graco Ramirez has accused Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto of lacking “courage” on drug policy.
Last month, the president announced that possession of up to 28 grams of marijuana would no longer be illegal.
But the governor said that the president’s initiative “fell short,” because the state continues to prohibit production. “Who is going to sell the marijuana?” the official asked. “The production of medicines will depend on imports from the United States and Canada, and the market will remain in the hands of organized crime,” he said.
Ramirez believes that full legalization of the sale and production of marijuana is the only option.
“Even though the weight allowed for personal use has increased, the real question is from whom are they buying?” the official asked. “Of course, the answer is criminals.”