Voting 316 to 128, Mexico's Lower House approved a draft bill that would legalize the scientific, medicinal, and recreational use of cannabis for those aged 18 and older. The bill will now go to the Mexican Senate for a final vote. If successful, Mexico would become the largest regulated cannabis markets in the world, and the third nation after Uruguay and Canada to legalize recreational cannabis. Under the proposed legislation, users with permits will be able to plant up to 8 plants at home for personal use and carry up to 28 grams. The new legislation will also result in the creation of the Mexican Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (MIRCC), which will issue 5 types of licenses: research, cultivation, import and export, sale, and transformation of cannabis.

The bill was actually approved in the Mexican Senate in November but following some alterations by the lower house, must pass another vote to be implemented into law. Local media outlets say that they expect the Senate to approve of the revised bill in the coming days.

Mexican President President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says that the bill could help combat the nation's drug cartels and generate more revenue for the government. On the other hand, critics argue that legalization could result in children having easier access to cannabis.

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