The province and city of Oaxaca, Mexico, seem tired of waiting for future cannabis regulation to be in place.
A few weeks ago, theAsociacion Indigenous Producer of Cannabis of Oaxaca (AIPCO), a non-profit organization in Oaxaca made up of local indigenous cannabis growers, has given indigenous communities 26 medical cannabis cultivation licenses issued by the Mexican Federal Commission for Protection Against Health Risks (Cofepris). This authorization was already legal “in theory”, but had never been put in place for lack of federal regulation.
At the same time, the government of the state capital, Oaxaca de Juárez, informed civil society that since there are no municipal regulations prohibiting the responsible consumption of cannabis by individuals in public spaces, local police are reportedly instructed not to disturb cannabis users in the capital.
A change in policy that fell a few days before the 420, duly celebrated in Oaxaca. In its letter, the city warned consumers to express their new freedom without disturbing that of those around them.
“There are no city bylaws that expressly prohibit the responsible personal use of cannabis in public spaces,” the letter states. “A call is made to consumers to avoid consuming cannabis in places where there are children or where other people explicitly disagree. »
Felicidades Municipality of Oaxaca
A día histórico para la comunidad cannabis en #Oaxaca Movimiento Cannabico Oaxaqueño #MoCO pic.twitter.com/L7k4Z8vtyr— Cannabis Libre AC (@cannalibremx) April 14, 2022
“The municipal authority urges the municipal police to refrain from causing inconvenience to consumers and to only ask them to move if they smoke near children or people who categorically oppose it . »
Federal legalization is still progressing, slowly
As Newsweed previously reported, federal laws remain unclear and uncertain when it comes to cannabis use. Mexico’s legislature continues to deliberate slowly on legalization after a series of Supreme Court rulings overturning prohibition. While the federal process has bogged down, the provinces and municipalities are taking over the subject, as here in Oaxaca.
The Mexican Congress could legalize it later this year, beyond the hesitations of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. His last stance on the issue came last summer, when he floated the idea of a national referendum on legalization, for which he says there is no consensus.
