Taking a lead from the United States, Mexico should allow states to begin legalizing marijuana while broader efforts are in limbo, a senior government official said, as the country seeks ways to tackle record gang violence.
Tourism minister Enrique de la Madrid, confronting rising lawlessness in and around the resort cities of Cancun and Los Cabos, said it made no sense for Mexico to maintain prohibition given permissive U.S. policies in states such as California.
“I think in Mexico we should move towards regulating it at state level,” he said in an interview late on Wednesday, calling it “illogical . . .
