A Mexican cabinet official has taken to Twitter to ask his country’s citizens whether they are in favor of marijuana legalization.

The official Twitter account for Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, responsible for overseeing federal police, intelligence agencies, and prisons, shared a Twitter poll encouraging Mexicans to share their view.

“Should the use of marijuana for recreational purposes be?” the tweet asks, as translated from Spanish, with options for ‘Legal’ and ‘Illegal’

Majority support for legalization

Nearly 87,000 votes were cast, with 81 percent of respondents in favor of marijuana legalization for adult use. The polling closed at 12.50 PM ET on Tuesday 26 March, 2019.

It is not clear what, if anything, the government will do following the results, or whether it will have any impact on legalization legislation that lawmakers have been mulling over.

It is, though, a further indication that the new administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is seriously exploring bold marijuana reform at the national level.

Cannabis ban unconstitutional

This latest move follows the Mexican Supreme Court ruling last year that the country’s prohibition of marijuana consumption was unconstitutional. Lawmakers soon amended federal policy to align with the ruing.

Since then, the movement for marijuana reform in Mexico has gathered pace.

Earlier this year, the Mexican Senate released a report outlining considerations for lawmakers to keep in mind for marijuana legalization legislation based on the experiences of various countries and jurisdictions around the world.

The nation’s interior secretary is a supporter of marijuana reform having filed a bill last year as a senator to legalize cannabis.

Cabinet members also met with Canadian officials last year to discuss Canada’s move towards legalization.

It’s clear that in spite of the strong online support for legalization, Twitter polls are neither particularly scientific or representative. Still, it could play a part in strengthening the Mexican government’s position amid ongoing legislative talks about regulating marijuana.

state marijuana laws

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