Despite recognizing the president’s proposal on the use of marijuana as positive, specialists lamented that the initiative leaves aside the combat against the cannabis black market, which must undoubtedly be dealt with, an opinion shared by the head of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) in Mexico City, Raúl Flores.
This was one of the main conclusions of the debate on the liberalization of marijuana in the context of the Constitutional Assembly organized by the PRD officials in the capital, whose leader considered that the presidential initiative lacked the fundamental theme of cannabis traffic.
On the part of civil society, Bruno González asserted that drug prohibition has been much more damaging for social health than drugs themselves, an example of this being homicides in Mexico.
The coordinator of the program of Damage Reduction on the issue of drugs, from the Espolea civil organization, stated that prohibition in Mexico has served criminal groups in their domination of the drug market and their ensuing competition with the state for territorial control and the governance of societies. In this sense, he considered that the presidential initiative on marijuana regulation does not cover an essential element of the chain: distribution.
“Peña had not moved in the least on what is central, which is to attack the black market. Prohibition generates incentives for delinquents to control the offer of substances and enrich themselves. Furthermore, they put the rules in that market, and hence make it much more dangerous to consume these substances”, he said.
Specialists in this debate coincided that in the context of the drafting Mexico City’s constitution, the capital should regulate the use of marijuana in a similar manner as the Netherlands, by regulating its consume in safe places.
Raúl Flores added insight on the prevailing opinions on the issue of marijuana from the various currents within his party.
“We have an internal debate, there is no unanimity, I couldn’t tell you that all of the PRD is absolutely open to the theme of recreational use, but we are open to debate. We do have a debt to society on the theme of drug policy, because the left cannot simply suspend the topic”, the PRD official said.
Peña had not moved in the least on what is central, which is to attack the black market. Prohibition generates incentives for delinquents to control the offer of substances and enrich themselves.”
– Bruno González, coordinator of Damage Reduction at Espolea civil organization
THE NEWS