The possible benefits that the legalization of marijuana could bring in Mexico

It is no secret that one of the most serious problems facing Mexico is drug trafficking; for years, this illegal activity has wreaked great havoc on Mexican society, raising the rate of violence in exuberant numbers and placing the country in various crisis situations.

During past administrations, the consequences of the so-called war on drug trafficking left thousands dead and disappeared in the country. Removing marijuana from the list of substances handled by drug trafficking would be a severe blow to people who have been engaged in its production and marketing for years.

Given this, the General Law for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis is positioned as a possible solution to the prohibitionist policies that have governed the country over the years and that have somehow led it to the state of crisis it is currently in. It is worth mentioning that the administration of current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been the first to promote projects to regulate the consumption of the plant as a strategy for combating drug trafficking.

However, in order for this situation to be possible in Mexico, it is necessary to get rid of prejudices and taboos that have been attributed to the consumption of the plant throughout history. Starting with the alleged harm that cannabis use causes to the human body, which are no more serious than those that legal drugs such as alcohol or tobacco can cause; on the contrary, unlike these substances, marijuana is classified as a medicinal plant because it possesses the cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) whose effects help treat patients with cancer or epilepsy.

Scientifically it has been proven that the medicinal use of marijuana can serve as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, anxiolytic, problems dermatological, migraines, etc. Correct regulation of the use of the plant would correctly manage the production and consumption of products that use it for medicinal purposes, which would help to alleviate the poor Mexican public health system.

It is important to mention that the social connotations to which marijuana is linked are constructs of ideas that have been attributed to it over the years, but the reality is that not all consumption is the same, so its use does not necessarily imply problematic or addictive behavior.

Another benefit that the legalization of marijuana would bring to Mexican society is in terms of security and justice, since the rate of impunity for serious crimes in the country is estimated to be 94.8 per cent until 2020, a large part of which accounted for drug arrests. Under this premise, legalization would present a decongestion to the judicial system of marijuana-related crimes, which in turn would allow the system to prioritize other issues such as the safety of citizens and focused on crimes of serious social impact such as homicide, kidnapping, disappearances, domestic or gender-based violence, etc. It is necessary to stop considering consumers as criminals, it is not the same to receive a penalty for murdering someone than for simply carrying the plant.

In economic matters, we could also enjoy benefits, since production and marketing were regulated, the doors would open up to social cooperatives whose functions would be performed according to the diversification of business and employment opportunities, as well as compensation for the work of peasants who have dedicated themselves to their cultivation for years and whose safety is not guaranteed.

On the other hand, opening the doors to the cannabis business would also mean generating new revenues for the state and the opportunity to move illegal markets to legality, which would mean a considerable decline in the power of organized crime

Talking about the legalization of marijuana involves dealing with issues of public health, national security, economy and social implications, which after years of debates and discussions have come to place Mexican society as a people who are willing to promote responsible consumption. Similarly, taking into account all the above-mentioned consequences that its legalization would bring, it would also make it possible to place the country on the international stage in terms of drug policy and bring it closer to social peace.

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