International
Collectives predict that Mexico will not regulate cannabis until the US does so at the federal level
Different pro-cannabis groups predicted that Mexico will not regulate its consumption or production until the United States does so at the federal level, during the presentation of the Cannabis Encounter that will take place in the Mexican capital on April 27 and 28.
“As long as there is no federal regulation in the United States, we believe that federal regulation will not be allowed in Mexico,” said Julio Zenil, the director of the event, which brings together the leader of the international cannabis industry.
Zenil explained that, in Mexico, “the steps that have been taken” in this area at the federal level, which places the country in a “more advanced” position than US legislation, which depends on each state.
“There are rumors that the industry will not be regulated in the United States, they will not declassify cannabis, until the pharmaceutical industry is not in control,” he added, so he warned of the presence of “interests that go a little beyond” Mexico’s legislative capacities.
In 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice declared the ban on recreational marijuana consumption in the country unconstitutional, although the Government of the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and his party in Congress have refused to regulate it.
While Congress has approved since 2017, in the six-year term of Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018), the use of marijuana for health purposes, a regulation that depends on the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks.
Lawyer Manolo Castro, who will give a thematic talk at the Cannabis Encounter, reiterated the implications of these “issues of supranational interests” and removed the possibility of regulating the use of marijuana and its derivatives in the short term.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen either in these months or in the next three years,” he said, especially because of the electoral period that Mexico is currently experiencing. Even so, both he and Zenil recognized the birth of “different models of self-regulation” among citizens, which could be a “source of law.”
“If the Government puts its hands in taxes and all this, I don’t think it will end well for anyone,” said the artist Muelas de Gallo because, in his opinion, it would mean an increase in the price of the product, which would become a “privilege” for those who can afford it.
The Cannabis Event, which reaches its sixth edition and is organized by the magazine Cáñamo, offers the public conferences on both the recreational and therapeutic use of marijuana and its derivatives, as well as recreational activities and competitions.
“The backbone (…), sharing information so that people have tools for debate and decision,” Zenil said.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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