Mexico close to legalizing low-THC medical cannabis program

Mexico moved closer to legalizing the use and sale of medical marijuana with a low-THC level when the government’s lower house passed a bill that now goes to the country’s president.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose government is trying to dismantle violent drug cartels, is expected to sign the bill into law.

The measure, which passed the Senate in December, does not allow smokable medical marijuana. However, it does permit the growing, processing, sale, import and export of medical cannabis products with up to 1% concentrations of THC, as well as cultivation of marijuana for scientific purposes.

The bill also mandated Mexico’s Health Department to “design public policies to regulate the medicinal use of this plant and its derivatives.”

The legislation is the latest in a series of legal changes and court rulings that have relaxed cannabis laws in Mexico.

The Mexican government began loosening its stand on marijuana in 2016, when it:

• Granted permits allowing some patients to import CBD-based products.
• Decriminalized small amounts of cannabis.
• Issued several permits for specific individuals to cultivate and possess marijuana for personal use.

– Associated Press