On Thursday, Mexcio’s Senate Majority Leader Ricardo Monreal Avila said he wants to seek yet another extension to the Supreme Court’s legalization deadline. If you’re confused because you thought the Mexican Senate already passed a legalization bill, you’re not wrong.
The original bill, which was backed by Mexico’s ruling Morena party, legalized the use, sale, and production of cannabis. Last November the Senate passed the law and sent it to Mexican’s lower house for approval. The Chamber of Deputies made a series of revisions, and then sent it back to the Senate for final consideration. Now Morena senators are concerned about some of these changes, including new permit requirements for home growing and the loss of licensing advantages for small-scale farmers.
In order to deal with these concerns, Senate Majority Leader Ricardo Monreal Avila proposed an extension to the Supreme Court’s April deadline to end prohibition.
“The law should meets two goals, reducing criminality and eliminating the prohibition that has led to thousands of people being imprisoned for having a few grams of marijuana. It should be an instrument for social justice,” Monreal said.
Monreal suggests picking up the debate when the next legislative session begins in September. “What’s best for everyone is for this to be a good law, not a law that is approved too swiftly and that will later be difficult to put into effect,” Monreal said in press conference on Thursday.
Other lawmakers have argued that ending prohibition now should take precedence and that details can be amended later. So far a request for change of deadline has not yet been submitted. Stay tuned.