Mexico’s Marijuana Standoff: Permits Tighten as Use Surges

Mexico’s 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 Court’s 2021 ruling legalizing recreational use sparks a messy clash between judicial progress and regulatory gridlock.

The scent of cannabis drifts through Mexico City’s Hidalgo metro station, where users openly smoke in tolerance zones. Young dealers hawk their wares—three joints for 150 pesos or a greenhouse-grown gram for 300—near bustling streets.

Crowds of all ages gather, exhaling freely in spaces like Avenida Juárez, 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 2023’s 5,516, official data shows. Lawyer Emmanuel Castro, a permit specialist, blames stricter rules since President Sheinbaum’s October 2024 start.

Mexico’s Cannabis Regulatory Struggle

New permits cap possession at 5 grams—already legal without approval—leaving 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 2024’s 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 Court’s ruling promised freedom, yet Cofepris’s tightening grip and legislative inaction keep Mexico’s cannabis future uncertain.

For now, users navigate a patchwork of permits and tolerance, while the real story—billions in potential revenue—waits.

More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error