Mexico's top court demands regulation on medical marijuana after long delays
The ministry said it would comply with the court's ruling and ensure the child's access to treatment
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Mexico's supreme court ordered the health ministry to issue regulation within six months on medical marijuana use, saying its failure to do so after legalization in 2017 had put rights at risk for patients, including children. The court made the decision as part of its ruling in favour of a child who needed medication derived from cannabis substance THC to treat epilepsy. "Due to the absence of rules regulating the therapeutic use of cannabis, it was impossible for the plaintiff to access treatment based on this substance or any of its derivatives," the court said in a statement. The health ministry had been instructed to update its guidelines within half a year following a June 2017 reform to legalize marijuana for medical and scientific needs.