Mexico Publishes Medical Cannabis Regulations After Three-Year Delay

(This article was originally published with Benzinga.)

Mexico’s government has published regulation guidelines for the legal production, research and use of medical cannabis.

The document, signed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, deals with the control, promotion and law enforcement of cannabis as a raw product and its pharmacological derivatives.

Part of a Broader Reform

The Jan 12 publication comes over three years after the country’s legislative branch gave the order to develop a regulation around legal uses of the plant.

Mexico is currently undergoing a larger process of legalization, marked by the Senate's voting to approve recreational use last November. The adult-use bill was sent back to the lower chamber and is expected to be voted upon in February.

President López Obrador pronounced himself open to the adult-use initiative, advocating for responsible use and freedom of choice.

Legal cannabis in Mexico would turn the country into the world’s largest legal market, and a number of U.S. and Canadian companies have already set their eyes south of the border, including Aurora and Khiron Life Sciences.

A Landmark Measure

The publication officially established a legal framework for the cultivation of cannabis in Mexican soil. It also sets up the need to establish an infrastructure for quality control, testing and distribution.

The Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks and the Health Ministry will be in charge of implementing the regulations.

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