A ruling from none other than Mexico's Supreme Court has aroused cheers of victory and voices of concern from different affected sectors as it can set precedent on the legalization of marijuana in the country while challenging its present conservative laws on and fight against drug use.
On Wednesday, Nov 4, four of the five Supreme Court justices ruled that the plaintiffs have the right to grow, possess, consume, and distribute marijuana for personal use. The case stems from a lawsuit filed by four members of a cannabis club called SMART (Mexican Society for Responsible and Tolerant Personal Use) who declared the stoppage of marijuana use and consumption as unconstitutional.
Speaking to Time, the plaintiffs' lawyer cited the ruling as the first step to recognizing human right of liberty and dignity. He also stressed that this could inspire others to make a similar claim, which may later on overturn the strict Mexican laws on drug use. In 2009, a controversial law was passed in Mexico, decriminalizing drug possession in small quantities and providing free drug dependency treatment.
Although the ruling applies only to the plaintiffs, this can have a significant effect on the war on drugs in the country that continue to persist as the Mexican government takes down cartels. CNN cites that at least 60,000 people have been killed during the administration of Felipe Calderon, Mexico's president known for Operation Michoacan, which deployed more than 6,000 federal troops to end cartels. Meanwhile, around 26,000 people had gone missing over the same period.
Mexico is also the leading supplier and transit point of illegal drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine in the United States. Because of this, both countries have signed a bilateral initiative to help combat drug trafficking.
The Mexican ruling may also impact other Latin countries such as Colombia, which are currently looking for new approaches to resolve drug issues.