The Mexican government has granted permits for four individuals to possess and grow cannabis for their personal consumption, The Associated Press reports.
The permits only apply to those four individuals — the same four who won a high-profile November court ruling in which the Supreme Court of Mexico determined the right to cultivate, possess, and consume cannabis was protected under one’s right to “free development of personality” — and cannot be traded or transferred.
The permits do not allow for the consumption of marijuana while children are present; they also do not allow for the sale or distribution of the drug.
Juan Francisco Torres Landa is one of the four plaintiffs. He explained that for them the legal battle was never about getting high: the plaintiffs simply wanted to make a point about the perils of prohibition. “The objective is to change the policy, not to promote consumption. We are going to set the example; we are not going to consume it,” Landa explained.
President Enrique Peña Nieto has claimed to be against the legalization of cannabis, and recent polls indicate that the majority of Mexicans agree with him. However, there are currently five petitions under consideration by the Supreme Court that, if granted rulings akin to the November court case, would establish precedent to change the law and begin adopting the full normalization of marijuana.
Photo Credit: Manuel