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
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.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
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