This month, I visited Mexico City in an effort to bolster momentum toward the passage of the groundbreaking Senate bill concerning cannabis legalization in the United Mexican States.

In November, the Senate cannabis bill was passed and moved to the lower chamber, the Mexican Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados), akin to the U.S. House of Representatives. The Chamber of Deputies has to consider the legislation and take action before the end of April 2021, a deadline recently extended by the Mexican Supreme Court.

There’s a rule about how many times changes may be accepted and/or rejected and/or proposed before conclusive legislation can be enacted. This is further compounded by midterm elections in Mexico that will take place in the summer of 2021. This Spring many legislators, particularly in the lower house which is made up of 500 legislators, will be shifting their focus to campaigning in their jurisdictions. If the cannabis bill isn’t finalized by the end of the first quarter or early second quarter, it may not move forward at all in 2021.

Currently, the Chamber of Deputies is examining the language, terms, conditions, and scope of the comprehensive bill passed by the Senate. [Read more at Forbes]