June 10, 2022
Our Mexican Cannabis Updates are back! Thank you to those that have inquired about our updates and continued to show interest in the progress of Mexican cannabis regulation efforts.
May 31, 2022
Luis Armendariz citado por Milenio: "El retraso en la discusión para tener leyes y normas que permitan un uso industrial de la cannabis en México, causa que las empresas que evalúan invertir en este mercado en el país, no se materialicen o busquen en otras naciones mayores certezas de inversión, coinciden especialistas del sector."
May 3, 2022
As the legal cannabis industry diversifies and grows, so do the opportunities, obligations, and complex legal matters that law firms and their clients face.
September, 2021
Los abogados de nuestra firma Adalberto Lopez y Alan Zamarripa colaboraron con un artículo sobre el cannabis en la sección de "Life Sciences & Health Law" del Year in Review 2020, estudio anual sobre el desarrollo legal internacional y publicación de la American Bar Association de los Estados Unidos. Agradecidos por la oportunidad.
September, 2021
The New Contender: Mexico
Mexico will be the third country to legalize cannabis at the federal level, and in June 2021 the Supreme Court of Mexico decriminalized the recreational use of cannabis.
Conference given by Luis Armendariz from Caam Legal
How will legal cannabis firms navigate Mexico’s business risks?
The Mexican senate is expected to take up cannabis legalisation this month and big international firms are eager to profit from the country’s market. But will corruption and extortion be part of the cost of doing business?
August 2, 2021
Luis Armendariz: Mexico Cannabis Update: Rights Advance, Regulation Stalls
Last week we had important news coming out the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice (the “SCJN”), as it ruled on the Action of Unconstitutionality derived from the failure by our Legislative Branch to regulate in accordance with the SCJN’s jurisprudence published on 2018.
June 2021
Part 2 – Mexico and the Road to Legalization Hosted by Anna Serin – CSE – Canadian Securities Exchange Lorena Beltran, Founder & Director – CannabiSalud Ralph Schulke, CEO – Innerbloom Holdings S.A.P.I. Luis Armendariz, Global Practice Area Leader – Hoban Law Group
June 28, 2021
Mexican Congress did not comply with the Supreme Court's mandate by failing to regulate the recreational use of marijuana, so the nation's highest court issued a Declaration of Unconstitutionality. What does this really mean?
In this interview, Luis Armendariz from CAAM Legal explains.
June 28, 2021
Este lunes 28 de junio, cerca del mediodía, la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) aprobó la Declaratoria de Inconstitucionalidad sobre la prohibición del uso adulto de la marihuana en México, luego del que el Congreso no llegara a un consenso respecto a la aprobación de la Ley Federal para la Regulación del Cannabis.
May 8, 2021
On April 30, Mexico's Congress failed to pass adult-use legalization orders that were handed down by five Supreme Court rulings. The latest development marks the fourth time the deadline has not been met.
"The decision places the future of cannabis legalization in an uncertain area in Mexico as operators, advocates and legislators await the next steps."
Luis Armendáriz, Mexican lawyer at CAAM Legal
April 07, 2021
Hoban Law’s Armendáriz got involved with cannabis after receiving queries several years ago from Canadian lawyers he had collaborated with on work for mining companies at his firm, CAAM Legal, which is based in northern Mexico. He began putting out a newsletter and became an in-country resource for many in the global cannabis industry.
April, 2021
En una larga jornada, el 10 de marzo de 2021, la Cámara de Diputados discutió el dictamen que expide la Ley Federal para la Regulación del Cannabis (el “Dictamen de Ley”).
Durante la sesión, los Diputados aprobaron, en lo general, el Dictamen de Ley por 316 votos a favor, 129 en contra y 23 abstenciones. Con dicha aprobación, también se reformaron y adicionaron algunos artículos de la Ley General de Salud y el Código Penal Federal, a saber, por mencionar algunos:
April, 2021
El marco regulatorio para el uso lúdico del Cannabis es una de las leyes más esperadas desde que se previó la publicación y contenido de la famosa jurisprudencia de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación a finales de 2018 y principios de 2019, por su alcance e importancia contra políticas prohibicionistas sobre el libre desarrollo de la personalidad como un derecho humano. Actualmente, el dictamen de lo que será la Ley Federal para la Regulación del Cannabis (la “Ley”) se encuentra en la Cámara de Diputados para continuar con el proceso legislativo.
March 04, 2021
There has been a lot of talk and chatter coming out of Mexico and Latin America around cannabis legalization over the last 4 years. From recreational use to medicinal use to industrial and nutritional hemp, all forms of cannabis have been picking up traction for our neighbors south of the US border. In this episode of Volume Up, host Morris Beegle is joined by co-host Lorena Beltran of CannabiSalud and ALCANN, along with Bob Hoban and Luis Armendariz, to break down what is currently legal, what isn’t currently legal, and projected time frames on when all things cannabis will be legal and the obstacles and opportunities that lie ahead of us.
March 03, 2021
Mexico is on the verge of creating the world’s largest legal marijuana market, a move that could pressure President Joe Biden to embrace weed, too.
Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies passed landmark legislation Thursday morning, ahead of a April 30 deadline set by the country's Supreme Court to legalize recreational sales. The Senate is expected to back the bill in the coming days.
March 08, 2021
Se publicó el Reglamento de Cannabis Medicinal en México y en este primer panel de 2021 exploramos las principales oportunidades y los retos por delante del mismo en una discusión con tres expertos que compartirán sus recomendaciones a pacientes, médicos, profesionales de la salud y personas interesadas en participar en esta industria naciente.
March 04, 2021
Complete article
February, 2021
Después de años de lucha, activismo, controversia y cabildeo, a finales del año pasado y al principio de este pudimos ver resultados concretos en el proceso de legalización del cannabis. Estos resultados se materializaron, por una parte, en la aprobación del dictamen para la Ley Federal para la Regulación del Cannabis (el “Dictamen de Ley”)
January 19, 2021
Eric and Bob host a roundtable discussion with Cannabisalud’s Lorena Beltran and HLG Global Practice Chair Luis Armanderiz to cover Mexico’s health ministry publishing the rules for medicinal cannabis, and why we should be hopeful that Mexico will pass adult-use cannabis and industrial hemp reform measures in the coming months.
January 19, 2021
January 12, 2021 marked yet another historic milestone for Mexican cannabis as the secondary rules for medical cannabis in Mexico were published by the Secretary of Health (SSA) in the Federal Official Gazette. The rules, titled Rules for the Sanitary Control of the Production, Research and Use of Medical Cannabis and its Pharmacological Derivatives
December 8, 2020
As many remain hopeful that Mexico will legalize cannabis this year, the world’s largest recreational market won’t be up and running before 2022 in any case. That’s according to Luis Armendáriz, a Chihuahua-based attorney who practices in international cannabis trade with Hoban Law Firm.
November 23, 2020
Mexican Senators approved a historic adult use cannabis legalization bill on Nov. 19, with an 82 to 18 vote.This doesn't legalize adult use just yet, but Mexico appears well on its way to becoming the third nation to do so and potentially the largest legal marijuana market in the world.
November 15, 2020
Four-year-old Camila Soto has big, bouncy brown curls and an unwavering fascination with her older sister’s colored pencils.
Unable to walk or sit on her own, she has struggled with epilepsy and cerebral palsy since birth. Her mother, Crisla Soto, 38, began treating Camila’s frequent seizures with cannabidiol, or CBD, when Camila was 11 months old.
September 19, 2020
Luis Armendáriz quoted in national news media Milenio
September 10, 2020
What you need to know before investing in Mexican Real Estate
This may be a time of opportunity in Mexican real estate. However, things can go bad without honest advice and proper due diligence.
August, 2020
Contribution by Luis Armendariz on the “The Brief”, the American Bar Association’s magazine for lawyers practicing tort and insurance law.
Complete article
August, 2020
Colaboración de los Lics. Luis Armendáriz y Alan Zamarripa para la publicación “Year in Review” del 2019 publicada por la Sección de Derecho Internacional de la American Bar Association, respecto de desarrollos regulatorios y legislativos en materia de cannabis.
Complete article
August, 2020
Luis Armendáriz invited to the “Thinking Outside the Bud” podcast by Bruce Eckfeldt
https://www.thinkingoutsidethebud.com/podcast/140-luis-armendariz
August 10, 2020
Draft of Medical Use Rules Published
Finally. On July 27, 2020, a draft of secondary rules for medical cannabis in Mexico were submitted by the Secretary of Health (SSA) to the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (CONAMER) for the mandatory public consultation and regulatory impact assessment
Complete Article
May 7, 2020
Panorama de la legislación del Cannabis en México
Podcast
April 7, 2020
The impact of Coronavirus on Mexico
Bob and Eric sit down with Chihuahua, Mexico-based, Hoban Law Group International Attorney, Luis Armendáriz who shares his perspective on how Mexico has reacted to the spread of COVID-19 in the last few weeks. They discuss the recent progress made by the Mexican Congress in recent months on cannabis legalization, possible delays to government proceedings from Coronavirus,
April 2020
Colaboración para revista Edicta
A la fecha que escribo esta colaboración, el dictamen para expedir la ley que regularía el cannabis ha sido aprobada en comisiones del Senado de la República y estamos expectantes para la continuación de un proceso legislativo que resulte en la aprobación y expedición de la Ley
March 27, 2020
Mexican Senate Committees approve Cannabis Bill… but Deadline Extended
On March 4, 2020, three Mexican Senate Committees approved in a joint session, generally, the cannabis bill - last version circulated on February 28, 2020 (the “Bill”). The Committees’ approval places such Bill on its way to Senate’s general vote.
Complete article
Luis Armendariz quoted by Hemp Industry Daily
Mexico is poised to become the world’s most-populous country with legal marijuana and hemp next month – and, unlike its northern neighbor, Mexico is setting nationwide regulations to cover all forms of cannabis, no matter the THC content, instead of having a patchwork of laws for the two plants.
Complete article
March 20, 2020
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19): CONSIDERACIONES LEGALES PARA LAS EMPRESAS
La Organización Mundial de la Salud ha declarado al Coronavirus (COVID-19) como pandemia, situación que tiene al mundo expectante y con un seguimiento puntual de las medidas que los gobiernos toman día con día. Además de las implicaciones de salud pública, el impacto del COVID-19 ya se siente en las vidas de las personas y de las empresas.
Complete article - Spanish -
March 18, 2020
COVID-19: Implicaciones laborales para las Empresas
Derivado de la situación actual que ha generado el Coronavirus (COVID-19), ha surgido un ambiente de incertidumbre en la mayoría de las fuentes de trabajo en relación a las medidas preventivas y legales a tomar, es por lo que ante la posible declaratoria de contingencia sanitaria por parte de la Secretaría de Salud, nos permitimos hacer de su conocimiento lo siguiente:
March 11, 2020
First-ever podcast by Mexico’s National Cannabis Industry Association (ANICANN) with Luis Armendariz as a guest
Posdcast
March 05, 2020
Luis Armendariz quoted by Investing News on Senate Committee’s approval of Cannabis Bill
The Mexican Senate is getting ready to argue a policy that would legalize cannabis in the country.
Thanks to the alignment of the justice, health and legislative studies commissions in the Mexican Senate, the policy was approved and now heads to the Senate, where it will be discussed and reviewed.
The ruling from the three divisions was approved with a final vote of 26 compared to seven against while eight abstained on Wednesday (March 4).
March 1st, 2020
Contribution for the American Bar Association’s Food & Agriculture Task Force First Newsletter
Will marijuana be legal in Mexico?
Last year, the Supreme Court of Mexico ruled that the ban on personal cannabis use was illegal and ordered that the ban be lifted and that the cannabis market should be legally regulated.
Complete Article
February 20, 2020
MEXICO CANNABIS UPDATE #14
Import Ban for Electronic Cigarettes and Vaporizers
On February 19, 2020, the President issued a decree that modifies General Import and Export Law’s tariff sections 3824.90.83, 8543.70.18 and 8543.90.03 (the “Decree”). The Decree prohibits the import of electronic nicotine or nicotine-free consumption systems, electronic cigarettes and vaporizing devices, its solutions and mixtures for such devices.
February 12, 2020
MEXICO CANNABIS UPDATE #13
Senate issues Updated Cannabis Bill
On January 15, 2020, the Senate’s Justice and Health’s Committee issued an updated draft of the new Law for Cannabis Regulation (Ley de Regulacion del Cannabis) and other proposed amendments to related provisions in the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud or LGS) and our Federal Criminal Code (Codigo Penal Federal).
Luis Armendáriz quoted on Animal Político
EVERYTHING ABOUT CBD ¿Legal in Mexico?
¡Ah, la cannabis, esa planta tan amada y tan odiada por muchos! Aunque la marihuana es la forma más conocida de cannabis, esta plantita tiene un primo más seguro y medicinal: el cáñamo.
Complete article -Spanish-
January 09, 2020
MEXICO CANNABIS UPDATE #12
2019 Cannabis Year in Review
Following the 2017 amendments to the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud, or “LGS”) to legalize medical and scientific use of cannabis products with up to 1% of tetrahydrocannabinol, and then the 2018 landmark resolutions issued by the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice regarding cannabis recreational use, legalization advocates set great expectations for 2019.
Complete article
December 12, 2019
MJ Bizcon
In Limbo: Legalization in Mexico
As the Latin American cannabis economy ramps up, there is one country that is still working through the politics to make legalization a reality. That country is Mexico. In this session, an attorney at the forefront of legalization will overview how legalization efforts have evolved over the years and when can we expect Mexico to move forward with legislative efforts to become the largest adult-use market globally.
December 06, 2019
MEXICO CANNABIS UPDATE #11
Extension for Passage of New Cannabis Law Granted
Just before the October 31, 2019 deadline set by the Mexican Supreme Court (SCJN) for the Senate to pass the new Law for Cannabis Regulation (Ley de Regulacion del Cannabis), the Senate, through its presiding Chairman Sen. Monica Fernandez, asked the nation’s highest court to grant an extension in order to allow for a more thorough review of the feedback received from different sets of legalization advocates.
October 22, 2019
MEXICO CANNABIS UPDATE #10
Draft of New Cannabis Law Issued
Just before midnight on October 17, 2019, the Senate’s Justice Committee issued what would purportedly be the draft of the new Law for Cannabis Regulation (Ley de Regulacion del Cannabis) to be submitted to general vote this week before the October 23 deadline.
October 7, 2019
MEXICO CANNABIS UPDATE #9
Preview of Medical Cannabis Rules by COFEPRIS
Dr. Jose A. Novelo, director of the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) appeared before the Mexican Senate’s Health Committee to discuss the current government’s public health agenda. Not surprisingly, one of the main subjects discussed was the status of the long-awaited regulations for medical cannabis products. Dr. Novelo mentioned that COFEPRIS’ focus is mainly on health and sanitary risks, including scientific and research activities focused on public health needs, not recreational use.
October 2, 2019
Participation at the American Bar Association’s Cannabis Conference
On September 19 and 20, 2019 the American Bar Association held its first-ever conference on cannabis, titled “From Regs to Riches: Navigating the Rapidly Emerging Fields of Cannabis and Hemp Law”. Our partner, Luis Armendariz, participated at the panel on the topic “The global commoditization of marijuana and hemp: where in the world is cannabis headed?” speaking about the current status of regulation in Mexico and how cannabis and hemp companies can plan for their market entry.
September 30, 2019
Mexico Cannabis update #8
New Cannabis Bills Introduced to Senate
In the past months, additional bills have been introduced in the Mexican Senate with the intention or regulating cannabis and hemp. As of today, a total of 13 initiatives o proposals to amend existing or enact new laws have been filed in the Senate in addition to another number of bills in the lower house of congress. (Click here to see a note by Marijuana Business Daily where Luis Armendariz is quoted on this.)
September 2019
Regulación del CBD
Perspectiva general en México
Poco a poco se hace de mayor conocimiento que el cannabi-diol, mejor conocido como CBD que cuenta con múltiples usos.
En palabras de David DiSalvo, colaborador del sitio online de Forbes, "existe un mercado potencial de hasta 20,000 millones de dólares americanos". Aquí es donde podemos vizualizar que hay un lugar para los productos medicinales, cosméticos y paliativos en México, considerando que se trata de un país vecino a los Estados Unidos.
September 19, 2019
Luis Armendariz quoted by Marijuana Business Daily
Mexico has over a month to legalize recreational cannabis, with 10 proposed laws in the mix
With a court-ordered deadline to legalize recreational cannabis in Mexico approaching next month, parliamentarians have no fewer than 10 proposed laws to scrutinize. It is anyone’s guess which one will come out on top. But the clock is ticking, with lawmakers facing a little more than a month to pass legalization legislation.
https://mjbizdaily.com/mexico-has-over-a-month-to-legalize-recreational-cannabis-with-10-proposed-laws-in-the-mix/
August 22, 2019
Supreme Court urges Government to issue Cannabis Guidelines.
The Mexican Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN) unanimously approved Justice Eduardo Medina Mora’s proposed draft of a ruling that orders the Health Secretariat and COFEPRIS to issue the necessary regulations for the medicinal use of cannabis and its derivatives within a 180 business days term. The ruling was issued after establishing that the Executive power breached the mandate of the June 2017 reform to the General Health Law that gave them 6 months to issue such regulations.
August 14, 2019
Partnership with InStrag for Intelligence Reports and Lobbying Services
We are happy to announce our new partnership with InStrag, a public affairs firm based out of Mexico City. Jointly, we have put together a set of products and services designed to help foreign companies understand the status and development of cannabis and hemp regulation process in Mexico as well as provide the insight and capabilities to participate in such discussions through direct engagement with the authorities at both the Federal Congress and Executive Government.
The following reports and services are now available:
- The Initial Cannabis and Hemp in Mexico Report
- The biweekly Mexican Cannabis Intelligence Reports
- Lobbying and Engagement with Authorities
April 27, 2019
Cancellation of COFEPRIS Guidelines.
On March 26, 2019, the Federal Commissioner for the Protection of Sanitary Risks (“COFEPRIS”), Mr. Jose A. Novelo Baeza, announced the revocation of the guidelines issued on October 30, 2018, for the import and sale of products with cannabis and its derivates.
The grounds for such action were largely based on omitted legal formalities for the issuance of government guidelines for general application, such as a publication beforehand in the Federal Official Gazette (Diario Oficial de la Federacion) and regulatory impact analysis by the Mexican Commission of Regulatory Improvement (Comision Nacional de Mejora Regulatoria). Reference was also made to the contradiction between import/export tax rules, which prohibit the importation of cannabis plants, and the now-revoked guidelines, which provided for the granting of import permits.
March 25, 2019
Status of Proposed and Existing Regulation.
On March 19, 2019, the Secretariat of Health issued a press release informing the appearance of Secy. Jorge Alcocer before the Senate’s Health Committee to discuss the nation’s public health agenda. Among the top items was the status on the guidelines issued on October 30, 2018 by the Federal Commission for the Protection of Sanitary Risks (“COFEPRIS”) for the import and sale of products with cannabis and its derivates (reported here).
Complete article
January 15, 2019
Luis Armendariz quoted by the Daily Business Journal (a law.com publication): Is Latin America the Next Big (Legal) Marijuana Market?
With the election last summer of a new president and a ruling by Mexico’s Supreme Court in October, Mexico may be the next country, following Canada, to legalize marijuana.
The ruling by Mexico’s high court marked the fifth time that prohibition on recreational marijuana consumption had been ruled unconstitutional. The number of rulings is significant, as five rulings create a precedent that applies to all of Mexico’s courts.
January 9, 2019
2019 Outlook for Cannabis in Mexico
Even though the process for cannabis legalization in Mexico started a few years ago, 2018 will be remembered as the year when cannabis activists saw efforts materialized in groundbreaking supreme court resolutions, regulatory amendments and proposed legislation.
November 22, 2018
Mexico issues first authorizations for cannabis products
Mexico issues first authorizations for cannabis products The Secretary of Health, through the Federal Commission for the Protection of Sanitary Risks (“COFEPRIS”) announced yesterday the authorization for the first 38 products with cannabis and its derivates, with no THC or psycho-active effects, to enter the Mexican market within the next five weeks.
November 14, 2018
The path towards a legal Cannabis industry in Mexico
Following significant regulatory trends in other countries such as neighbors the United States and Canada, Mexico began taking steps toward allowing the use of cannabis. The legislative process to amend certain provisions of the General Health Law (Ley General de Salud, or “LGS”) resulted in the June 19, 2017 publication of amendments1 acknowledging the therapeutic benefits of tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”), opening the door to the research and academic study of medicinal cannabis and, subject to a permit by the Federal Commission for the Protection of Sanitary Risks (“COFEPRIS”), allowing the importation of medications containing THC. At that time, cannabis products without a sanitary license, self-production, harvest, and possession of cannabis were still prohibited.
August 3, 2018
Note published in El Financiero, a nationwide financial journal, regarding our client, Windstar Energy Resources, and its importation and distribution of refined products (gasoline and diesel).
http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/economia/texana-windstar-importa-gasolina-y-la-vende-en-chihuahua
May 2018
Our firm recently advised Radians Inc. in the due diligence and acquisition of Neese de Mexico, local operation owned by Neese Industries Inc.
March 6, 2018
Note on the mixed-use building called “Torre Santa Fe”, where our firm participates as legal advisor.
http://promagazine.mx/articulo/3/torre-santa-fe
14 de noviembre de 2016
Publicación del Lic. Luis Armendáriz en el boletín de agosto de la Sección de Energía, Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, de la American Bar Association, sobre actualización legal en la importación de gasolina, diésel y gas licuado de petróleo:
http://www.americanbar.org/…/ihc/201608_ihc.authcheckdam.pdf
3 de abril de 2016
Portada de la revista PRO Magazine Chihuahua donde el Lic. Luis Armendariz aparece con sus compañeros de mesa directiva de la Asociación Nacional de Abogados de Empresa, Colegio de Abogados, A.C., Capítulo Chihuahua, el cual preside nuestro socio.
October 8, 2014
AALEGAL ahora es miembro de Lex Logística www.lexlogistica.com lo que ahora nos permite apoyar a nuestros clientes con trámites y juicios en 20 ciudades de México y 2 en Texas.
August 28, 2014
Montage Legal Group aparece en la Revista Forbes. Frecuentemente trabajamos en proyectos para clientes de Montage en México y Latinoamérica, y a la vez nos apoyan para atender necesidades de nuestros clientes en Estados Unidos con excelentes abogados y a costos razonables.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mamiejoeveer/2014/08/27/how-2-stay-at-home-moms-are-changing-the-legal-industry/