DPA Executive Director Issues Statement to Mexican Senate on Marijuana Legalization

On Monday, the Mexican Senate’s Health Commission hosted a forum featuring policy experts and government officials.  
 
DPA’s executive director, Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno, issued a statement to the Mexican Senate.  McFarland was scheduled to present at the forum, but was unable to do so following a flight diversion.  Her statement details the overall success of legalization in the U.S., as well as lessons learned and areas for improvement.  McFarland also touches on the massive violations of human rights generated by the drug war, as well as prohibition’s failure to protect public health.  
 
In November 2018, Mexico’s Supreme Court effectively set binding precedent that ended the country’s prohibition on marijuana use, possession and cultivation. Federal lawmakers in Mexico are now in the process of devising a regulatory system. 
 
“Regulation has the potential to improve the lives of many: people who are currently criminalized or abused in the name of cannabis prohibition and people who don’t have access to medical cannabis,” said McFarland. “By regulating cannabis, Mexico will be able to better shape how cannabis is produced, distributed, and consumed, and therefore protect public health. Mexico will also demonstrate regional leadership, and take an important step toward reforming the misguided policies that have caused such devastating harm in recent decades.”
 
Read the statement (available in English and Spanish).