Mexico has experienced more twists and turns than most other countries when it comes to legalizing adult-use marijuana.

Cannabis prohibition began in Mexico in the 1920s.There was a big Global push, led largely by American Prohibitionists, outlawed marijuana.

This policy has been in place for many years and is still in effect to a certain extent. In 2018, however, Mexico’s Supreme Court struck down the ban, at least because it applied to personal use.

The ruling is fairly general and does not specifically establish a legalization framework involving owning and cultivation restrictions or regulated industries.

Instead, legislators are tasked with implementing court decisions through legislative action.

Deadlines come and go

In Supreme Court ruling, Mexico’s lawmakers get one year term Legalization measures passed by the courts.

Unfortunately, that year came and went, and lawmakers failed to pass a measure and had to ask for an extension.

Then, due to the rise of the pandemic, another extension was requested. Then another. More than three years later, legalization measures remain elusive.

The pandemic must be partly to blame. However, political infighting over marijuana policy is of course also to blame.

Mexico has a great opportunity to legalize marijuana before the vast majority of other countries and reap the benefits of getting ahead of the rest.

However, this window closes every year.

Vote next month?

Mexico’s current legislative session only lasts until the end of next month. After so many false starts, will lawmakers finally get a bill?

Last month, Mexico’s Senate President Olga Sánchez Cordero said a vote on marijuana legalization would take place “in the next few weeks or months.”

Mexican Senate Majority Leader Ricardo Monreal Avila This month Lawmakers are “one to two weeks away” from finalizing a measure.

At this point, with so many starts and stops in three years, it’s understandable if people are skeptical about the actual vote happening next month.

That said, Mexico’s political will appears to be enough to get a measure passed, it’s just a matter of including enough provisions in the measure that lawmakers can agree to.

Hopefully that will happen next month, as Mexican cannabis consumers should be bound by sensible cannabis policies.