Legalizing marijuana would represent a blow to cartels: Mancera

Entering his fourth year as Mexico City mayor, Miguel Ángel Mancera said that even though he has faced complications, he is confident that in the remainder of his administration he will be able to achieve goals that open the doors to him to seek the presidential candidacy in 2018.

Mancera says that issues such as legalizing marijuana for medical purposes and raising the minimum wage are some examples of the type of government that he would offer if he becomes President of Mexico.

In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL, Mancera said that “no change in public policy scares him” referring to marijuana decriminalization. He added that he is in favor of legalizing marijuana and that he agrees with the decision of the Supreme Court because he supports freedom to decide.

Mancera explained that allowing people to carry up to 5 grams of marijuana but putting them in jail if they are caught buying it is incongruous.

In his opinon, legalizing marijuana would represent a blow to drug cartels, even though he acknowledges that many factors should be taken into account before making any decision on the subject.

Also, Mancera said that more police guardhouses will be installed in Mexico City so that citizens feel safer and that the new traffic lights program will include a central command in order to control the traffic chaos, that intensified after the change in the no-drive day program that took 400,000 additional cars to the streets. Currently Mexico City has three independent traffic light systems.