President Calderon Joins Central American Leaders' Call for Review of US Legal Pot Vote Associated Press
go to original November 12, 2012

Following the US Presidential election last week, the states of Colorado and Washington have quietly made history by voting to legalise the use of marijuana. The new legislation is likely to have an impact across the border in Mexico, where a deadly drug war is being waged. Al Jazeera's Lucia Newman reports from the capital Mexico City. (AlJazeeraEnglish)

Medical marijuana is packaged for sale in 1-gram packages at the Northwest Patient Resource Center medical marijuana dispensary, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Seattle. After voters weighed in on election day, Colorado and Washington became the first states to allow possession of up to 1 oz. of legal pot for recreational use, but they are likely to face resistance from federal regulations. (Ted S. Warren/Associated Press)

MEXICO CITY — Mexico and three Central American nations are calling for a review of international drug policies after two U.S. states voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana.

The call Monday by Mexican President Felipe Calderon and the presidents of Belize, Costa Rica and Honduras is the most significant Latin American reaction yet to the Nov. 6 decisions by voters in Colorado and Washington. The Mexican administration that takes office Dec. 1 has already questioned how it will enforce a ban on growing and smuggling a drug legal under some state laws.

Mexico is the primary supplier of marijuana to the U.S., while Honduras and Belize are important stops on the northward passage of cocaine from South America. Costa Rica is seeing increasing use of its territory by drug traffickers.

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