Could Los Cabos become Mexico's First Travel Pot Spot?
The plan to legalize marijuana in Baja California Sur has not defined who would provide the product.
Could Baja Sur soon have the 'Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air' LEGALLY?'
The discussion began with an off the cuff remark by the Federal Secretario de Turismo, Enrique de la Madrid Cordero and now has been put forward by the governor of the state of Baja California Sur, to make the recreational use and sale of marijuana legal in Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur.
Since the legalization of recreational pot in several US states has redefined the term 'party town' the Mexican tourist 'hot spots' may have to become 'pot spots' to keep up.
The Governor, Carlos Mendosa has called for a sincere debate on the issue in the 2018 state legislator, stating that it would create significant state income and take one product away from the warring cartels. In 2017 the surging drug war left 701 dead in the state.
The governor also pointed to the tax windfall experienced by the legalization in the US states. A group representing local business interests has opposed the idea, not wanting the region to develop that associated party-town image that Los Cabos has worked so hard to escape.
The reigning party-town profiteers, bars, and restaurants, also have voiced opposition to the marijuana trade would certainly be a vacation dollar competitor vs cervezas and tequila.
It is unclear if the move would be made by Federal mandate, local legislation or state referendum. Some conservative groups have already express objection, and since the current policies have proven totally ineffective, local opinion seems to be in favor of legalization from the perspective of taking a product away from the cartels.
The proposal is not clearly understood by the populace, who see the move as legitimizing a cartel business, rather than the reality of licensed growers and retailers as the successful US market has developed. As a result, the man-on-the-street opinion is in opposition to legalization.
A legalization proposal put forward could possibly resemble the north of the border models, with a significant state and federal tax and product only available through select licensed stores. Who would produce and provide the product has not been addressed.
The state of Quintana Roo is located on the Caribbean side of Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula and is home to the east coast tourist destination of Cancun.
Mexico federally decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2009, but the with the eruption of the cartel war in Baja California Sur in 2014 the state passed more stringent laws. Today state law provides for jail time for possession of even the smallest amounts (2g or about one joint) Although Meth appears to be the product fueling the current conflict the increased penalty for possession has had zero effect on the drug trade war. With this proposal, a new solution is now being considered, the complete liberalization of marijuana laws that could only work better.
Will we soon be seeing 'hootie cuties' on the beaches of Baja California Sur?
