Mexico’s court demands regulation on medical cannabis

The country’s highest court asks Ministry of Health for judgement

Mexico’s highest court has asked the Ministry of Health to release regulations on medical cannabis within 180 days. The decision was taken by the Tribunal Supremo de la Nación after hearing the story of an epileptic child that has been unable to secure medical cannabis extracts that could successfully treat his epilepsy.While products with less than 1% of THC are legal in Mexico, the percentage remains too low for treatment to be effective.
The court stated: “Due to the absence of rules regulating the therapeutic use of cannabis, it was impossible for the plaintiff to access treatment based on this substance or any of its derivatives.”
The health ministry has been asked to update its guidelines within the next half of the year. Last Wednesday, in a landmark ruling, the ministry of health released a statement in which it said that it would comply with the court’s ruling and ensure the child’s access to treatment.
In 2017 the Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador submitted a bill that permitted the use of cannabis products with a THC content of less than 1%.nThe ministry of health was supposed to issue an official regulations within six months of the signing of the bill but has failed to do so, putting it under pressure to adhere to the original terms of the bill.
Last year, the Supreme Court declared that a ban on recreational cannabis use is unconstitutional, obliging the government to put a plan in place. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador currently supports the legalising of medical cannabis as one way of tackling the country’s war on drugs. Mexico started approving CBD-based wellness products for sale at retailers and pharmacies across the country.