Mexico’s Supreme Court has annulled laws that prohibit personal use of marijuana.
After the 8-3 vote Monday, the court’s President Arturo Zaldívar said it was a “historic day” for liberty in the country.
But organizations opposed to marijuana prohibition say the decision falls short of legalization. Julio Salazar, an attorney with Mexico Unido, praised the ruling, but said at this point it’s largely “symbolic.”
That’s because acquiring marijuana, among many other things, remains illegal, though individuals will now be able to more easily get permits for individual use.
Salazar said the ruling also puts more pressure on Mexico’s Legislature, which has blown past several deadlines in recent years to regulate the sale and recreational use of marijuana, despite a Supreme Court order to do so.
