A visitor’s guide to (not entirely) legal weed in Mexico

You’ve read the headlines: Mexico’s Supreme Court overturns the marijuana ban. Now you are traveling to Mexico and looking forward to a legally elevated vacation.

Not so fast.

Personal possession of up to five grams of cannabis is now theoretically legal. And the pungent aroma of marijuana seems to be increasing in abundance as Mexico moves towards legalizing cannabis.

Legalization is still just a theory in Mexico. Here are some tips to help you stay safe and stress-free.

But the legislature’s failure to officially legalize this means cannabis users are still being prosecuted in some locations and there is a possibility of police extortion if found in possession.

In other words, what the Supreme Court establishes and what you can meet in a face-to-face meeting with a local police officer are two different things.

Certain establishments from Tijuana to the Oaxaca coast have long tolerated cannabis smoking. In light of the Supreme Court rulings, Mexicans are now smoking weed in public in cities – particularly in areas considered safe from the police, such as the Mexico City Senate building, which has a permanent smokehouse in protest at two o’clock Years ago (and continues today).

Unfortunately, a lot depends on where you are in Mexico. Attitude is everything.

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Know where you literally stand

Legal organizations warn cannabis users that they are far more likely to be arrested for smoking cannabis in less privileged areas of a state or city than in middle- and upper-class regions.

Human Rights Watch has made international demands on Mexican lawmakers to immediately decriminalize cannabis possession due to this ongoing regulatory rigmarol.

Rule # 1: Don’t cross the line with cannabis.

Importing cannabis into Mexico is largely unnecessary and highly illegal. Crossing an international border with grass is an unwise strategy, even if you are entering from a legal country like Canada.

Rule # 2: Purchasing remains a gray area

Cannabis can be easily grown outdoors in Mexico and sourced by street in a number of tourist-friendly cities such as San Cristóbal de la Casas, Oaxaca de Juarez, and the Riviera Maya.

Some larger cities are now home to a growing gray market of pharmacies, cafes, spas, massage parlors, and even restaurants where you can buy and smoke THC products. However, these companies don’t advertise in the glossy tourist magazines, and discovering their location usually requires a face-to-face conversation with a 420-friendly local.

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Mexico’s emerging pharmacies in the gray market are usually known by word of mouth, although some advertise with varying degrees of secrecy on social media. Pharmacies usually distribute their menus via encrypted messaging platforms and tend to only deliver – with only those known to the owners being able to visit the premises. Street vendors are likely to propose inflated price in the first place, and bartering is common.

Rule # 3: The prices are wild

Cannabis can be insanely cheap in Mexico. Prices start at $ 2.50 for 14 grams of flower. (Yes, that’s 18 cents a gram.)

But that’s only where the prices begin. As the gray market develops, so do prices. A growing number of boutiques and delivery services are starting to charge prices to match the US and Canadian markets, which can mean up to $ 15 for a gram of a premium variety like Bubba Kush or Girl Scout Cookies. Why the high prices? Call it a quality import tariff. On an ironic historical downside, these premium flower packages are often imported from California.

Rule # 4: Groups are safer

To stay as safe as possible in public, it is recommended that you only smoke cannabis if you are in a large group, including other Mexicans, or in a bar or establishment that clearly tolerates its use. Many of the stories about police persecution relate to people caught alone, in small groups, or in places where cannabis use was considered inappropriate or offensive.

Rule # 5: Cops can and will search you

Police searches are not uncommon. Don’t be shocked if you are searched on entering bars or streets early in the morning, even in places considered more advanced and cosmopolitan.

If it is found that you have a small amount of weed in your hand, that inconvenient fact is usually settled by a mordida – literally a bite – a discreetly paid small bribe of about 400 pesos ($ 20).

There have been claims that the police may grow extra cannabis on a person they find in possession to make them exceed the legal limit of five grams. Anecdotal reports show that this is more likely to happen to young and poor people who are considered more vulnerable, an unfair and unfortunate fact of life in Mexico as in so many other countries.

Ban dies hard

Jail sentences for minor cannabis possession are rare. Prison sentences are even rarer. In 2018, the most recent year for which public data is available, 11,000 people in Mexico were charged with possession of less than 100 grams of cannabis – including 2,300 teenagers in very small amounts.

As a visitor to Mexico, temperament and cooperation usually serve the cannabis user well in these situations. If you’re an American, don’t be ugly.

More about Mexico and marijuana

Mattha Busby

Mattha Busby is a freelance writer based in Mexico. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Observer, Vice, GQ, and other publications.

View article by Mattha Busby

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