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Protecting an endangered cloud forest on the edge of Mexico City
Cloud forests make up just 1% of Mexico’s territory. They contain nearly 10% of the country’s plant species and shelter a remarkable range of wildlife species. These ecosystems are known for their foggy environments caused by the wet and rainy weather that prevails in regions such as the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre del Sur and Sierra Norte de Chiapas, where some of the last remaining cloud forests survive. The weather tends to be warm but humid, with nights becoming cooler, especially when the mist envelops the area.
Despite their ecological importance as biodiversity hotspots and for capturing water and carbon, helping regulate regional weather, Mexico’s cloud forests are sadly endangered. Illegal logging, cattle ranching and urban expansion continue to drive deforestation and place these fragile habitats at risk. As such, any action that seeks to protect these forests is of utmost importance.
@tamarablazquezhaik Únanse a los esfuerzos de conservación de Blanco Pitaya. Pueden encontrarlos en FB e Ig con ese nombre, “Blanco Pitaya”. La reserva está en Teziutlán, Puebla. #naturaleza #fotografía #animales #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #conservación ♬ swatting at flies – ethan mcneal
The effort to save Blanco Pitaya
One grassroots effort is Blanco Pitaya, a natural reserve founded by Ignacio Castillo in 2021 in Teziutlán, Puebla (just four hours away from Mexico City). The 16.5-hectare (40-acre) reserve preserves an almost pristine stretch of cloud forest where towering tree ferns rise above a dense understory. Bromeliads and other epiphytes blanket the trees, creating shelter for species such as the small-eared tree frog (Rheohyla miotympanum), countless insects, birds and mammals like ocelots that depend on the forest canopy to survive.
Blanco Pitaya protects the forest through low-impact ecotourism. Ignacio’s vision was to first create a small hotel-boutique in the area. However, after going through some intense personal situations and thinking about leaving a livable planet to his young son, he decided on a different future. Thus, Ignacio now aims to attract visitors through camping and spiritual retreats, bird and wildlife watching, and river cleanups along the Xoloatl River that runs through the reserve. The goal is to foster a connection strong enough that visitors leave caring deeply about these forests that are often overlooked or mistaken for generic rainforests or tropical jungles.
Ecotourism at Blanco Pitaya
With tree ferns evoking a prehistoric landscape, recalling an era when dinosaurs roamed the planet, visitors can enjoy open meditation spaces, marked hiking trails, spring pools, waterfalls and the river that cuts across the property. The reserve is equipped with a working toilet and hot showers as well as spacious camping tents. There’s also a kitchen and dining area designed to bring together travelers who share a love for the outdoors.
Ignacio’s guided experiences combine hiking with meditation, encouraging visitors to slow down and reconnect with the present moment. The trails take visitors to several waterfalls and a beautiful basin known as the “Poza de los sueños” where encounters with the local frogs are not uncommon.
Community-based conservation
Blanco Pitaya’s conservation work extends beyond tourism as well. Over the years, Ignacio and his team have recovered a significant amount of plastic waste and debris, like old tires, plastic bottles, and old remotes, just to name a few examples from the Xoloatl River. As nearby communities expand, untreated waste continues to reach the waterways that feed the forest.
Although a treatment plant exists near Teziutlán and the neighboring San Juan Acateno, it remains nonfunctional. allowing polluted runoff to flow directly into the river and threaten the forest’s long-term survival. This threatens both the local biodiversity and the long-term survival of Blanco Pitaya’s cloud forest. Local authorities have expressed interest in addressing the problem and supporting cleanup efforts. As have some universities like the Universidad de las Américas, which has participated in restoration activities.
Ignacio’s broader vision also includes supporting local communities by donating supplies to rural schools and involving the local children in environmental stewardship, thus ensuring that conservation becomes a shared community responsibility, with Blanco Pitaya representing a model for community-based conservation. Ignacio believes that through ecotourism, environmental education and collaborative projects, the reserve can become financially sustainable while supporting surrounding communities and safeguarding what remains of the cloud forests along the Puebla–Veracruz state line.
Tamara Blazquez Haik is a writer and photographer.
Activists’ victory means IMSS now offers public hospital abortion services in 25 states
The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), which provides public health care for workers and their families, is now required to guarantee elective abortion services in the states where abortion has been decriminalized.
This new mandate follows a legal victory for activist groups who promoted at least 14 amparo lawsuits (judicial actions to protect individuals from acts of authorities) in favor of almost 300 pregnant IMSS beneficiaries.
Three key rulings, two in Chihuahua and one in Oaxaca, formally ordered the IMSS to implement elective abortion services for its beneficiary population. These rulings require the IMSS to adjust its budget accordingly, train staff, and organize the service network to ensure the right to elective abortion where local law already permits it.
These rulings have general effects, meaning that they not only protect those who filed the lawsuits, but also anyone entitled to benefits from IMSS.
As a first step to comply with the resolutions, the IMSS developed a Technical Guide for elective abortion aimed at its staff. It also created a WhatsApp chatbot to provide information about the procedure and the states where it is legal. Both the chatbot and informational materials aim to ensure that users know where to go and what they can request within the IMSS network of units.
The IMSS guide and chatbot indicate that elective abortion is legal up to the 12th week of pregnancy (first trimester) in 24 states. In Aguascalientes, the limit is the sixth week.
El @Tu_IMSS está obligado a garantizar el acceso a los servicios de aborto como un derecho de salud esencial y se ha dado un paso importante hacia ello.
💚Celebramos y nos posicionamos ante este avance resultado de los amparos que ganamos en colectivo en 2024. pic.twitter.com/vVtjmkmC1T
— AbortistasMx💚 (@AbortistasMx) March 17, 2026
Currently, elective abortion is legal in 25 states plus Mexico City, the outliers being Guanajuato, Durango, Morelos, Querétaro, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and Sonora. In those six states, elective abortion remains criminalized, meaning beneficiaries in these states can’t access the guide.
The organization Abortistas MX, one of the several organizations that promoted the lawsuits, called the developments a collective achievement in which actions from civil society to promote reproductive justice in the country played the key role.
“We celebrate this progress resulting from the injunctions we won collectively in 2024,” the organization wrote in its official X account.
With reports from Verificado
Spring arrives and brings scorching heat across Mexico, with 12 states passing 105 F (40 C)
The calendar may have barely turned to spring, but residents of 12 states might consider skipping ahead to their summer clothes going into the weekend.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) forecast extreme heat in several northern and western states for Friday and into the weekend, advising residents to stay well-hydrated, to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and to wear long-sleeved, light-colored clothing during the day.
With temperatures expected to soar above 105 F (40 to 45 C) in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Guerrero, the SMN is urging residents to pay special attention to children, the elderly, the chronically ill and vulnerable groups.
Temperatures of 95 F to 104 F (35 to 40 C) are expected in Baja California Sur, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Morelos, Puebla, Oaxaca and Chiapas, while Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, México state, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo will see highs of between 86 and 95 F (30 to 35 C).
The heat wave in the north is expected to begin weakening by Monday, but that does not imply a significant drop in temperatures. On the contrary, the SMN warned that a possible increase in humidity could lead to muggy mornings that lead to warm afternoons.
Climatological recordings show that meteorological springs in Mexico have become increasingly warmer and drier over the last decade, according to Meteored México.
“The beginning of March now presents temperatures that were previously typical of mid-April, bringing forward water stress in sensitive ecosystems,” it said.
The National Water Commission (Conagua) reported that a progressive increase in solar radiation and a decrease in the influence of cold fronts will produce an increase in temperatures during the second half of March and through April.
May is typically the hottest month across Mexico and Conagua has predicted persistent heat waves throughout the year, projecting that several Mexican cities could see record-breaking temperatures in 2026.
Hermosillo, the Sonora state capital, and Mexicali, capital of Baja California, have already done that.
On Wednesday, Mexicali set a new record for March when the temperature topped out at 105.6 F (40.9 C). In Hermosillo, the mercury hit 108 F (42.5 C), a new record for March, on Thursday.
The SMN recorded five heat waves in 2025, with the highest temperatures concentrated in mid-May.
With reports from N+, La Jornada, La Prensa, El Sol de Sinaloa and Yale Climate Collections
Looking to an all-digital future, Sheinbaum plans to eliminate cash at the pump and the toll booth
As part of her goal of digitizing the Mexican economy, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that cash payments at gas stations and highway toll booths will be eliminated starting this year.
Sheinbaum said her administration is working with the the banking sector to standardize digitized payment procedures nationwide to promote their use, and especially with Banco de Bienestar to facilitate digital payments for all Mexicans.
Banking Convention of the Mexican Banking Association in Cancún Thursday. (Presidencia / Cuartoscuro.com)
“Our goal this year is to make digital payment of gasoline and tolls mandatory,” the president said. “This will allow us to move forward with the digitization of the country through other schemes.”
Delivering the inaugural address at the 89th Banking Convention, Shienbaum also praised recent improvements to the CoDi system which can now be accessed through cell phones with zero commissions. CoDi (Cobro Digital) is a free, real-time digital payment platform developed by the Bank of Mexico, Mexico’s central bank, often called Banxico.
Also speaking at the convention, Banxico President Victoria Rodríguez said the central bank will stage a public consultation on reforms that would standardize the procedures for electronic fund transfers through mobile devices — another step toward universal digitization.
The government is also preparing to include the Banco del Bienestar in the digitization process by allowing certain government payments to be made digitally. Banco del Bienestar is a state-owned development bank aimed at providing financial services and promoting financial inclusion, especially for beneficiaries of federal social programs and residents in remote or marginalized communities.
The banking sector has also been lobbying for digitization policies to further reduce the use of cash, especially payments for public services. Cash is used for roughly 80% of transactions in Mexico.
The economic state of the nation
Sheinbaum’s speech also touched on the economic situation of the country, emphasizing a historic reduction in poverty, a strong currency, an increase in the minimum wage, a healthy financial system and a solid domestic market.
At the same time, she encouraged the banking sector to do more, especially by expanding credit and facilitating access to financing. Among Latin American nations, Mexico offers the least amount of credit for small and medium-sized enterprises.
“The banking sector still has much to offer the country,” she said, while also recognizing the Mexican Banking Association’s commitment to raising the level of credit from 38% to 45% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030.
“The sector is stepping up, but we need it to give even more,” she said. “That’s why the best news … is that it is going to increase credit.”
Sheinbaum said her administration’s priority is to establish an economic climate conducive to sustainable growth in order to improve Mexicans’ quality of life.
The government’s historic 5.6 trillion-peso (US $313 billion) public and private mixed investment program can be the foundation for this growth, she said. The investments will target projects in eight strategic sectors, including energy, trains, highways, ports, health and water.
Other elements of economic policy mentioned by Sheinbaum include investment in the energy sector (to generate 30,000 MW of electricity by 2030, boost renewable energy and reduce dependence on natural gas) and new financing for technological and scientific innovation.
With reports from El Economista, Timer Noticias and El País
As the World Cup nears, migrant kids in Mexico City train for their own soccer tourney in April
With the World Cup’s opening match in Mexico City less than three months away, migrant children in the capital are lacing up for a smaller but important tournament of their own.
Since late February, hundreds of migrant, refugee and local children living in inner-city shelters have been training on improvised fields for “Goals for Inclusion,” a European Union–funded project that uses soccer to promote integration, protection and coexistence.
Con #GolesPorLaInclusión, el futbol se convierte en un espacio donde todas y todos construyen comunidad.
En albergues y espacios comunitarios de la Ciudad de México demostramos que la inclusión transforma.
La diversidad nos fortalece cuando jugamos en equipo. 💙⚽ @UEenMexico pic.twitter.com/hq9pyIrfSp— ACNUR México (@AcnurMexico) March 18, 2026
The initiative was launched this month by the EU Delegation in Mexico alongside the Mexico City government, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration.
It youth soccer program will run through next month and culminate with a big tournament in Mexico City at the end of April.
Organizers say the focus is less on the final score than on offering safe spaces to children who have fled violence, poverty and political turmoil and who now face hostility, bureaucracy and exploitation in Mexico.
Around 300,000 migrants remain stranded in the country as tougher U.S. border policies in Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president have sharply reduced crossings and left many families unable to move forward or go home, according to humanitarian groups.
“Sport has no borders. The ball is round here or there,” Venezuelan migrant Joel Orta told Reuters as his 8-year-old son, Matías, practiced in the courtyard of a shelter in Tepito, a Mexico City neighborhood.
“Goals for Inclusion” will take place at fields in two inner-city areas considered dangerous, Tepito and Vallejo, both north of central CDMX.
At CAFEMIN, a shelter in Vallejo where the project was officially unveiled, EU Ambassador Francisco André said, “In the European Union, we are convinced that all girls and boys have the right to grow up in safe spaces where they feel respected and included. And sport creates precisely that: a community where they learn about camaraderie, solidarity, generosity and respect.”
Mexico City officials say sports can bridge tensions between residents and new arrivals.
“Projects like ‘Goals for Inclusion’ demonstrate that sports can become a real bridge between people in situations of human mobility and host communities, generating environments of coexistence, protection and shared social responsibility,” said Temístocles Villanueva, the city’s coordinator of attention to human mobility, in a United Nations statement.
“Goals for Inclusion” will include 18 community clinics that blend drills with socio-emotional support and human rights education. The clinics at migrant shelters and city-provided facilities are framed as “safe spaces.”
“Sport is a tool for change, a tool for peace,” said Perla Acosta, director of Más Sueños, a nonprofit that focuses on using sports to better society. “It helps us build community, it helps us connect.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin June 11 in Mexico City with a Mexico–South Africa match and conclude July 19 in New Jersey. Matches will be played in Mexico City, Monterrey, the Guadalajara metro area and in 11 cities in the U.S. and two in Canada.
With reports from Reuters and United Nations Mexico
Sheinbaum demands full US investigation into Mexican teen’s death in ICE custody: Friday’s mañanera recapped
Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds
- 📉 Quintana Roo security gains: The daily homicide rate in Quintana Roo dropped 79% in February compared to the final month of the AMLO administration, and 68% year-over-year. Security Minister García Harfuch reported more than 3,200 arrests for high-impact crimes in the state since Sheinbaum took office.
- 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 Mexican teen dies in ICE custody: Sheinbaum called the death of 19-year-old Royer Pérez Jiménez — an Indigenous Maya man from Chiapas who died at a Florida detention center on March 16 — “very sad.” She said Mexico sent a diplomatic letter to Washington on Thursday, with a “much stronger” one to follow Friday. ICE listed the cause as presumed suicide; Mexico is demanding a full investigation.
- 🇩🇪 Sheinbaum meets German president in Cancún: Trade, investment and scientific cooperation dominated Thursday’s meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Sheinbaum noted that nearly 2,000 German companies already operate in Mexico, and flagged the upcoming May signing of the updated EU-Mexico trade agreement. Steinmeier extended an invitation to visit Germany.
Why today’s mañanera matters
President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Friday morning press conference in Cancún, the Caribbean coast resort city in Quintana Roo that is one of Mexico’s most popular tourism destinations and a key gateway to the country.
The federal government took the opportunity to highlight that the daily homicide rate in Quintana Roo in February (0.43) was 79% lower than in September 2024 (2), the final month of the six-year term of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and 68% lower than in February 2025.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported that since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, more than 3,200 people have been arrested in Quintana Roo for allegedly committing high-impact crimes.
While the security situation in the Caribbean coast state was a significant component of the president’s mañanera, Sheinbaum also looked northeast to the state of Florida, where a young Mexican man died in ICE custody this week.
She lamented the death of the 19-year-old Indigenous Maya man, and reiterated that her government will do all it can to protect and stand up for the rights of Mexicans abroad, including those living (or who have died) in the United States as the Trump administration carries out an aggressive detainment and deportation agenda targeting undocumented immigrants.
The Friday morning press conference gave the president the opportunity to show that her government is focused not just on the well-being and security of Mexicans in Mexico’s 32 federal entities, but is also committed to supporting los paisanos (compatriots) who live beyond the country’s borders.
Sheinbaum’s remarks about her meeting on Thursday with the president of Germany added to the international focus of her final mañanera of the week.
Sheinbaum: Death of Mexican teen in ICE custody is ‘very sad’
Sheinbaum said that the death of a 19-year-old Mexican man in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is “very sad.”
She said that her government sent a “diplomatic letter” to the U.S. government about the case on Thursday and will send “a much stronger” one on Friday.
“The report is that the young man committed suicide. However, we want a thorough investigation,” Sheinbaum said.
“This can’t be happening,” she added.
In a statement dated March 18, ICE reported the death of Royer Pérez Jiménez in the Glades County Detention Center in Florida.
ICE said that Pérez — reportedly from an Indigenous community in Chiapas — was “a criminal illegal alien from Mexico who was arrested and charged with felony fraud for impersonation and resisting an officer.”
It said that he passed away in the early hours of Monday, March 16.
“At approximately 2:34 a.m., a Glades County detention officer on duty found Pérez unconscious and unresponsive. They immediately called a medical emergency in the dormitory and staff started cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” ICE said.
“Two medical personnel responded a couple of minutes later, determined Pérez to be without a pulse, and took over CPR. They requested emergency medical services. At approximately 2:42 a.m., Moore Haven Fire Rescue EMS arrived at the Glades County Detention Center and initiated life-sustaining interventions on Perez,” the agency said.
“He died of a presumed suicide; however, the official cause of his death remains under investigation.”
ICE said that Pérez was arrested in Florida in January and entered the United States on Feb. 19, 2022, but was detected by the U.S. Border Patrol and returned to Mexico on the same date. It said that Pérez “illegally reentered” the U.S. on an unknown date.
The Miami New Times reported that the 19-year-old “appears to be the youngest person to die in ICE custody since President Donald Trump took office again in January 2025, according to ICE records.”
He appears to be the youngest person to die in ICE custody since the start of President Trump’s second term.https://t.co/Cmzf1zIQfv pic.twitter.com/6HwDRqDIvh
— Miami New Times (@miaminewtimes) March 19, 2026
The newspaper wrote that “on January 22, Pérez was arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and charged with impersonation and resisting an officer, both misdemeanors, according to an arrest report obtained by New Times (although ICE’s statement characterized the impersonation charge as a felony).”
“Police say they tried to pull Pérez over while he was riding a scooter because he was crossing traffic lanes without using a crosswalk. But he allegedly refused to stop and gave officers multiple false names,” the New Times reported.
“According to the report, Pérez eventually told police he had ‘overstayed his visa and is currently in the United States illegally,’ and said he had no documentation to prove his name or date of birth.”
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) published a statement on Thursday, in which it said it would “pursue all diplomatic and legal avenues” following the death of Pérez in ICE custody.
“The Mexican government reiterates that such deaths are unacceptable and again demands a prompt and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this death, determine accountability, and put in place effective guarantees of non-recurrence,” the ministry said.
“The Mexican Consulate General in Miami activated its consular protocol, visited the [ICE detention] facility, and will continue working to provide support and assistance to the family,” the SRE said.
“Mexico has requested the reports and documentation needed to establish the full facts of the case, and U.S. authorities have confirmed that an investigation is underway. Mexico will take the necessary diplomatic steps to urge the U.S. federal government to address the conditions that facilitate such incidents. All available legal avenues will be pursued to ensure the family receives full support,” it said.
Sheinbaum endorsed the SRE message on Friday morning, saying that her government would express its discontent with the death of a Mexican national in ICE custody through “all means.”
Trade a key focus of Sheinbaum’s meeting with German president
Sheinbaum said that Mexico’s “trade and economic relationship” with Germany was a key focus of her meeting in Cancún on Thursday with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“You know that in May the update of the trade agreement with the European Union will be signed,” she said.
“And there is a lot of interest [in Mexico] from German companies,” Sheinbaum added.
“There are close to 2,000 German companies with investments in Mexico and there is a lot of interest in continuing to invest,” she said.
Sheinbaum said she also spoke to Steinmeier about “scientific and cultural cooperation,” and about “technological innovation, which is very important.”
In addition, she said that she and the German head of state discussed “the international situation” and agreed that it is “essential to seek peace in the world and make progress on cooperation for development.”
“Those were the big issues,” Sheinbaum said, adding that Steinmeier — a former vice chancellor of Germany and foreign minister — is “a man of a lot of international experience.”
“He has been part of different groups to build peace in Europe and the whole world. He has been president of Germany for practically 10 years and he invited us to go to Germany,” she said.
“We’ll wait and see if we’ll make a trip,” Sheinbaum said.
The president’s office noted in a statement that she received Steinmeier at the Maya Museum of Cancún on Thursday.
Sheinbaum was accompanied by her foreign affairs, finance, economy and energy ministers.
Steinmeier previously visited Mexico in September 2022, at which time he met with then president López Obrador.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)
Mexican forces capture then quickly release the daughter of ‘El Mayo’ Zambada in Sinaloa
Mexican security forces killed 11 members of a notorious Sinaloa Cartel faction and briefly detained a woman during an early morning raid on Thursday. The apparent target of the operation was the daughter of drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who is currently in prison in the United States. Now, the Security Cabinet is facing questions about why Mónica Zambada Niebla — who has been sanctioned by the U.S. government on drug-related charges — was released.
Federal forces carried out coordinated actions Thursday in rural areas surrounding Culiacán, all targeting the “Los Mayos” faction of the Sinaloa cartel. The operation resulted in the detention of Zambada Niebla in the town of El Álamo, and Omar Oswaldo Torres Cabada, alias “El Patas,” in the nearby town of Valle Escondido.
Shortly after Marines captured Zambada Niebla, a shootout occurred during which 11 members of the crime gang were slain. Torres Cabada was apprehended soon thereafter.
Within hours Zambada Niebla — who was wearing military fatigues as she was loaded onto a Navy helicopter — was released and the Security Cabinet issued a statement saying the daughter of the drug kingpin would not face charges.
“During this operation, a woman, identified as the daughter of a criminal leader, was also located. She has no connection to criminal activities nor any outstanding warrants against her, and was therefore released and handed over to her family in accordance with established protocols and in strict adherence to the law,” it said.
Media reports were quick to point out that Zambada Niebla is on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list issued by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Security officials declared that the OFAC designation — originally issued in 2007 “for providing assistance or collaborating with a drug trafficking organization” — was lifted in 2019.
They also said that the sanction was administrative (only barring her from conducting transactions in the U.S. financial system or any type of business involving U.S. companies) and does not imply any criminal charges against her, either in Mexico or the U.S.
The EFE news agency reported that the OFAC sanctions against Zambada Niebla, her mother and three sisters still appear to be in effect.
U.S. officials had yet to comment on the matter as of Friday morning.
The confusion prompted speculation that the arrest of Zambada Niebla had not been approved by the U.S. government, with El Universal columnist Alberto Capella suggesting it might have endangered a plea deal the U.S. Department of Justice is negotiating with “El Mayo.”
Capella also questioned the official narrative — that Zambada Niebla “was simply the daughter of a criminal leader with no connection to illicit activities” — calling it “weak and incomplete,” particularly since the high-profile operation directly targeted the Zambada family and its property.
Torres Cabada, who has been linked to the “Los Mayos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been engaged in a drug war with the “Los Chapitos” faction, remains in custody.
With reports from EFE, Noroeste, El Heraldo USA, Reforma and El Financiero
Puff, puff, pass? The cloudy legality of marijuana in Mexico
Mexico’s relationship with marijuana has been a long and complicated one. While hemp, a variety of cannabis with low psychoactive properties, has been used for textiles and rope for centuries, the psychoactive version, marijuana, has had a more turbulent journey.
Decriminalized in small quantities in 2009, the plant took a historic leap in 2021 with Supreme Court rulings decriminalizing recreational and medicinal use. However, the legal scaffolding is still under construction.
The Past
Marijuana in Mexico has some interesting periods of cultivation, medicinal use and even prohibition.
Introduction (16th Century)
The Spanish brought cannabis to Mexico, primarily for its industrial use as hemp for making rope and textiles.
Uses (19th Century)
After Mexico gained independence, hemp cultivation declined. By the late 19th century, recreational cannabis use, known as marihuana in Mexico, became more prevalent.
Prohibition (20th Century)
Concerns about violence and social disorder led to a ban on marijuana use in military hospitals in 1882. Fueled by negative media portrayals and international drug control trends, Mexico fully prohibited marijuana production, sale and recreational use in 1920. This ban continues today.
The present
Since the LXIV Legislature commenced its term in September 2018, 13 initiatives aiming to regulate recreational marijuana use and its derivatives have been introduced in Mexico. However, 12 of these initiatives remain among the labyrinthine committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, leaving the nation in a state of legislative limbo.
Among prominent proposals lies the initiative championed by former Morena senator Gerardo Novelo Osuna, a stalwart figure in the marijuana legalization discourse. Introduced in October 2019, Novelo Osuna’s initiative advocates for creating the General Law for the Regulation, Control and Use of Cannabis and its derivatives. This bill endeavors to reform various articles within the General Health Law, the Federal Criminal Code and the Law of the Special Tax on Production and Services.
At its core, Novelo Osuna’s proposal seeks to delineate the identification of cannabinoids, decriminalize possession for personal consumption (set at 28 grams, or one ounce), and establish a regulatory framework governing the cultivation, production, sale and consumption of marijuana. Moreover, it addresses taxation intricacies, with proposed modifications to the Law of Special Tax on Production and Services targeting products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) within specified thresholds.
More reform initiatives
Echoing the chorus for reform, Senator Clemente Castañeda of Movimiento Ciudadano (MC) presented an initiative in September 2018, advocating for amnesty for individuals incarcerated due to cannabis-related offenses. This proposal underscores the societal repercussions of punitive measures stemming from marijuana prohibition, signaling a call for compassion and rectification within the justice system.
Further diversifying the legislative landscape is the initiative by PAN Deputy Éctor Ramírez, currently under review in the Health Commission of San Lázaro. Ramírez’s proposal aims to regulate the utilization of non-psychoactive cannabis within cosmetic products. By delineating thresholds for psychoactive substances and facilitating the manufacture, importation, and commercialization of hemp-infused cosmetics, the bill seeks to harness the economic potential of cannabis derivatives while ensuring consumer safety.
Legislative impasse
The Supreme Court’s 2021 decision decriminalized recreational use with a caveat — permits are still required. As of 2025, COFEPRIS has established a free administrative procedure for adults (anyone over 18 years of age) to apply for personal cultivation and consumption permits. However, CBD and recreational wellness products remain medical-only in practice, and the permit status of personal cultivation for foreign residents is still a bit cloudy.
Meanwhile, the legislative impasse persists, casting a shadow over Mexico’s aspirations to align with global trends in marijuana regulation. Despite efforts to emulate the successes of Uruguay, Chile, Canada and many U.S. states in legalizing recreational marijuana, substantive debates surrounding penalties for possession and consumption linger, reflecting the delicate balance between public health concerns and individual liberties.
Also, foreigners should be cautious — while possessing small amounts may be decriminalized for residents, tourists could face stricter consequences.
The future
Mexico’s marijuana decriminalization is a landmark decision, but the road to a fully functioning legal market is still complicated. The Mexican Congress must draft and pass regulations establishing a system for licensing producers, retailers and distributors. This will likely take time, with potential revisions based on experiences in other countries.
The MMGY Travel Intelligence survey — called the Cannabis Tourism: Opportunities, Issues and Strategies report — found that 29% of all active leisure travelers, and 18% of all Americans, are interested in cannabis-related activities on vacation. If the recreational market in Mexico were regulated today, it would reach an estimated value of US $278 million in 2027.
Legislation on marijuana is important because it will prevent large interests from taking advantage of the market, train small and medium-sized companies, and provide education to prevent addictions, issues on which his organization is working.
This article was first published in 2025. It has been reviewed and updated for 2026.
Camila Sánchez Bolaño is a journalist, feminist, bookseller, lecturer, and cultural promoter and is Editor in Chief of Newsweek en Español magazine.
El Jalapeño: US ambassador reassures Mexico: ‘We’ve been so busy we completely forgot we were going to invade you’
All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original article here.
MEXICO CITY — U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson struck a warm and optimistic tone at the American Chamber of Commerce’s 109th Annual Assembly Wednesday, describing the bilateral relationship as “a marriage” and confirming that the United States has been far too occupied with everything else to follow through on any previously announced military adventurism.
“We don’t see the USMCA review as a risk, but as an opportunity,” Johnson told a room full of businesspeople at the Papalote Children’s Museum. “Also, and I want to be clear about this, nobody is currently planning to annex anyone. We checked this morning.”
Johnson went on to describe a relationship of such deep interdependence — nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade, shared borders, shared supply chains, shared fentanyl concerns — that any lingering invasion talk should be understood as the kind of thing couples say during a rough patch.
“You can love each other a lot, be partners, raise children and grow businesses even when you don’t agree on everything,” Johnson said, in what diplomatic observers noted was a somewhat unconventional framing for a formal trade address, but perhaps the most accurate one in recent memory.
When asked by a reporter whether Washington’s earlier rhetoric about cartel designations, military operations on Mexican soil, and the general suggestion that Mexico was a failed state requiring external management had simply slipped through the cracks, Johnson smiled and said that the U.S. and Mexico currently have “the most secure border in history.”
Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, reached for comment while in Washington for the first round of formal USMCA negotiations, confirmed that talks were “going well” and that no one had mentioned annexation even once, which he described as “a solid foundation.”
President Sheinbaum, for her part, confirmed she remains open to the marriage analogy, while noting that in healthy marriages, one spouse does not typically deploy special operations forces into the other’s backyard.
Johnson closed his remarks by declaring that North America, united, “could be independent.” The audience applauded. Nobody asked independent from who.
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