Mexicos marijuana seizures hit record lows, dropping from 1,795 kilograms in 2005 to just 32.7 kilograms in early 2024, presidential reports reveal.This decline unfolds as the Supreme Courts 2021 ruling legalizing recreational use sparks a messy clash between judicial progress and regulatory gridlock.The scent of cannabis drifts through Mexico Citys Hidalgo metro station, where users openly smoke in tolerance zones.
Young dealers hawk their waresthree joints for 150 pesos or a greenhouse-grown gram for 300near bustling streets.Crowds of all ages gather, exhaling freely in spaces like Avenida Jurez, undeterred by legal haze.
Yet, securing a permit from Cofepris, the health regulator, frustrates many, with only 6,992 of 21,064 applications approved by October 2024.Applications soared 62.5% in 2024, reaching 8,967 in ten months, far outpacing 2023s 5,516, official data shows.
Lawyer Emmanuel Castro, a permit specialist, blames stricter rules since President Sheinbaums October 2024 start.Mexicos Marijuana Standoff: Permits Tighten as Use Surges.
(Photo Internet reproduction)Mexicos Cannabis Regulatory StruggleNew permits cap possession at 5 gramsalready legal without approvalleaving users baffled.
Meanwhile, Congress stalls, with nine of 13 cannabis proposals since 2021 still pending as of March 24, 2025.Some aim to clarify personal use limits, others push industrial potential, but progress lags.
Mexico, producing 27,000 tons yearly per Endeavor estimates, sees enforcement wane, hinting at shifting priorities.Castro flags cases of people caught with kilograms claiming personal use, exposing legal gaps.
Seizures plummeted from 71 kilograms in 2022 to nearly half that in 2024s first half, reflecting lax policing or hidden supply chains.
Tolerance zones thrive, filling the void left by slow regulation.Businesses eye opportunity in this limbo, where informal markets flourish but formal rules choke growth.
The Supreme Courts ruling promised freedom, yet Cofepriss tightening grip and legislative inaction keep Mexicos cannabis future uncertain.For now, users navigate a patchwork of permits and tolerance, while the real storybillions in potential revenuewaits.