Mexico moves closer to medical marijuana with overwhelming Senate approval

MEXICO CITY — The Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill approving the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, the latest in a series of legal changes and court rulings that have somewhat relaxed cannabis laws in Mexico. The Senate said in a statement summarizing the debate that the measure directs the Health Department to “design public policies to regulate the medicinal use of this plant and its derivatives.” The legislation now goes to the lower Chamber of Deputies for consideration. Sen. Cristina Diaz Salazar, a member of President Enrique Pena Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party, said the measure aims to solve the urgent needs of Mexicans who are unable to access pot-based medicines.