President Pena Nieto Says Mexico to Move to Legalizing Medical Marijuana Veronica Gomez, Tomas Sarmiento and Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein - Reuters
go to original April 20, 2016

Drug usage increases in Mexico, James Fredrick reports (TRT World)

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Tuesday he is open to the legalization of medical marijuana in Mexico and that his government would announce new measures in the coming days.

"I am giving voice to those who have (in public forums) expressed the necessity of changing the regulatory framework to authorize the use of marijuana for medical and scientific purposes," Pena Nieto said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Speaking at a special session where world leaders gathered to rethink global strategy in the war on drugs for the first time in two decades, Pena Nieto said drug use should be addressed as a "public health problem" and users should not be criminalized.

Pena Nieto, who has traditionally been a vocal opponent of drug legalization, also called for a global shift in dealing with drug consumption while continuing to fight organized crime.

Since a landmark Supreme Court decision late last year that paved the way for liberalization of Mexico's marijuana laws, support for medical marijuana has been growing. Read the rest at Reuters

Related: The Beginner's Guide to Buying Pot (Men's Journal)

Related: UN Backs Prohibitionist Drug Policies Despite Call for More 'Humane Solution' (The Guardian)

Related: Happy 420: History of Cannabis and How the Plant Spread Across the World (Metro)

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