Mexico’s Supreme Court effectively
overturned the country’s ban on recreational marijuana use
last week, calling it unconstitutional in a pair of rulings.
The high court ruled that po t prohibition violates adults’
fundamental right to personal development, which lets them
decide which recreational activities to pursue, and that
it isn’t justified by marijuana’s effects. Similar judgments
were reached in three other cases from 2015 to 2017, and
under Mexican law five decisions on a related subject set a
binding precedent. Marijuana technically remains illegal in
Mexico, but the rulings mean users are unlikely to be prosecuted.
It’s now up to the Mexican Congress to rework the law to comply
with the court; it could aim for full-scale legalization or legalize
possession of weed but not sales.
