On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Mexico has now opened its door to legalize marijuana, a great challenge to the country’s strict substance abuse law. Mexico is adding to the burden of Latin America’s war against drugs.
The court’s criminal chamber voted for its legalization, entailing that people should be entitled to grow and distribute marijuana for their own personal use, NY Times reports.
Although the court’s ruling would not ultimately demolish the existing drug law, proponents of legalization disclose that the legalization of marijuana would provide a basis for rewriting the law.
The court’s ruling has clearly modified Mexico’s political and social structures. Having been supported by the US in an anti-drug campaign, Mexico made little progress in eliminating the flow of drugs in and outside the country, including the US in which drugs remains to penetrate the country.
Several countries of South America in change of policy concerning the use of marijuana and other drugs, such as cocaine. Uruguay, in 2013 has enacted the legalization of marijuana, however, there has been a slow development of marijuana industry in the country. Chile, on the other hand made progress in legalizing marijuana and is now harvesting its first medical marijuana this year.
In Brazil, the Supreme Court has recently argued about decriminalization of marijuana, cocaine and other drugs.
With all its faults, marijuana is credited for more that one-fifth of revenues generated by cartels. According to the 2010 report from RAND corporation, around 1.5 billion a year has been spawned from marijuana cartels.
Aside from its medical use, Marijuana provides a source of income for the cartels, which is smuggle to the US border kidnapping and extortion rings at home, according to NY Times.
Marijuana activists believed that violence will be lessened once marijuana can be use freely by individuals, either b growing their own or by purchasing from dealers.
However, a survey result conducted by Ms. Perez Correa from the federal prison denotes 60 percent of inmates sentenced for drug crimes were guilty in cases involving marijuana.
Clearly, legalizing marijuana produces good outcomes when used in medical treatment, however, it should not be overlooked that the use of recreational marijuana has been been highly associated with crimes.
