Like many Gen Xers I remember my teenage days and the marijuana that occupied them fondly, but we had two real choices back then: Vancouver BC “Beasters” or Mexican weed. The Beasters were the prefered choice, but we had no problem picking through stems and seeds when Mexican was all to be had. It definitely got you lifted and because they were sativas, it was an elevated high.
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Now, with legalization spreading across the US, Mexican marijuana is still around in prohibition states, but the tables have turned. People are smuggling California dank into Mexico, both for middle to upper class Mexicans and for American expats living in Tijuana. And it’s not just the pot that’s making its way across the border, cannabis activism is on the rise as well.
While people work toward changing the laws in Mexico, Mexican government officials have already loosened the nations overarching rules regarding pot.
Alex Scherer owns Southwest Patient Group, which is situated right over the border on the US side. Of the patients seen there, around 10 percent are Mexican. They are advised to consume their marijuana before crossing back over the border, but bringing dank into Mexico has been going on for the 20+ years since California legalized medical use.
“Beto” (not his real name) lives in Tijuana and told Voice of San Diego that he’s been bringing cannabis across the border for four to five years, first with a medical card and now simply via legalization. He says that it’s only for personal use and for a favor for a few friends.
Beto went on to say that cars crossing into Mexico are less likely to be searched and that the authorities were not looking for things like edibles or oils. “Everyone is still looking for the typical joint,” he said.
There is still more cannabis coming into the US than going out of it, but this is an interesting shift and the pot coming in has slowed down exponentially since state after state has legalized.
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Unlike the US, changes to Mexican cannabis laws can only be made at the federal level, not state by state. And the efforts being made at the federal level aren’t moving very fast, but there are successes, like the father who won the right to bring cannabis oil into Mexico to treat his epileptic daughter. It’s likely to be an uphill battle, but it would be a giant leap in helping patients and putting a kibosh on the Drug War when and if it were to succeed.
