Mexico’s lower house of Congress passed a bill on Wednesday that would legalize recreational marijuana – paving the way for a regulated market in a country long dominated by drug cartels.
The bill, which was approved by a vote of 316 to 127, now goes to the Senate where it is certain to pass.
The ruling Morena Party of President Andrés Manuel López Obrad, a supporter of the bill, controls both congressional chambers.
“Today we are making history,” Simi Olavera, a member of the Morena Party, said on Wednesday.
“With this, there is the misconception that cannabis is part of Mexico’s serious health problems,” said Olerva, who wore a mask with marijuana leaves.
The bill applies to people 18 and older. They will be required to obtain a permit to legally grow, carry or consume marijuana.
If passed into law, Mexico, home to 126 million people, would be among the few countries in the world to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
Lopez Obredor considers the legalization of certain drugs as a way to help protect a country plagued by drug-related violence.
More than 300,000 people have died since the government deployed the military to fight the cartel in 2006.
With post wires
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