Key Lawmaker Urges Mexico to Legalize Marijuana

An official in Mexico urges the government to legalize both medical and recreational use of marijuana.

According to reports of Telesur TV, President of Chamber of Deputies Jesus Zambrano said on Sunday that Mexico should move ahead with entirely permitting marijuana usage. The statement was shared in front of legislative body as they started a month-long discussion on the drug war.

The source mentioned Zambrano saying that Mexico should follow the example of Colombia and Italy in pursuing policies to weaken organized drug syndicate. He cited between 2007 and 2014 alone, more than 164,000 homicides were reported related to organized war on drugs in Mexico. Narcotics traffickers are more equipped with weapons than the national army thus border control should be one of the main concerns to limit the traffic of arms. Inequality and poverty are also central to any policy addressing gang violence.

The lawmaker stressed that the topic about marijuana legalization has international components. Mexico and United States should combined efforts on the matter. The two countries should have common rules though each with its own modalities, the news source stated.

"But the United States must help our country apply, for instance, legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use," said Zambrano as quoted by Telesur TV.

In November last year, Mexico's Supreme Court ruled that growing, possessing and smoking  marijuana for recreation is legal under the right to freedom, Desert Sun wrote. The ruling however covers a single case of plaintiffs who wanted to form a pot club. The ruling of the Supreme Court of Mexico did not favor the sale or commercial production of marijuana nor does it imply a general legalization.

Mexican lawmakers will continue discussing the possible legalization of marijuana use until February 17 following the endorsement of the states of Washington, Colorado, Alaska and Oregon to decriminalize marijuana use.

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Marijuana, Marijuana Legalization, Mexico, Drugs, weed

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