Citation

Zavala RO. Salud Ment. (Mex) 2017; 40(3): 91-92.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Instituto Mexicano de Psiquiatria)

DOI

10.17711/SM.0185-3325.2017.011

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In Mexico, amendments to the General Health Law and the Federal Penal Code have recently been approved to authorize the medical and scientific use of marijuana (Agencia EFE, 2017). This is a major change in legislation, albeit with a smaller scope than other countries, such as the Netherlands, where consumption has been decriminalized for decades, or Uruguay, which recently began the process of legalizing the production, distribution and use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Likewise, marijuana has been decriminalized and legalized in a number of states in the United States, where, despite changes at the state and federal level, both medicinal and recreational use remains illegal (de Alba, 2016).

Medicinal use of cannabinoids, such as marijuana and certain synthetic preparations, has been approved and included in several clinical guidelines of US medical organizations. The effectiveness of its therapeutic use for conditions such as multiple sclerosis or neuropathic pain has been proved by evidence from randomized clinical trials (DynaMed Plus, 2017).

Before considering the legal approval of recreational consumption, as has been suggested by various civil and academic organizations, it is essential to analyze the various components of the phenomenon. These include the implications it will have in areas such as the economy, national security and public health. An informed debate on the effects of marijuana, particularly in the field of mental health, calls for scientific evidence on the benefits, harm or adverse effects of its use. Since obtaining this evidence is a complex task due to the constraints on the use of clinical trials, the vast majority of current scientific literature has been produced on the basis of observational studies...

Language: en