S01 E04 – Mexico Legalization

Announcer: Information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to constitute legal advice. All information, content and materials available on this podcast are for entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Cultiva Law. Now, without further ado, here are your exquisite esquires, Mio Asami and Fabiola Jimenez.

Mio and Fabiola (Together) What up squad!

Fabiola Jimenez: Well, it’s back to us, the original OGs

Mio Asami: Yes, yes…

Fabiola Jimenez: Fabi and Mio. So today we’re going to be talking about the really hot topic of Mexico, finally, legalizing marriage one. [crosstalk 00:00:45] Like my peoples, like to say it, and also our weekly word or word of the day mota, which is slang for weed. I think it’s very, very rare that I’ve ever heard, marijuana. [crosstalk 00:01:01] Kind of described as anything else other than mota, but again, it’s just, it’s slang Spanish for weed. So you learn something new and tell your kids about it.

Mio Asami: Yeah. So, I mean, I think as you can imagine Fabi being the [crosstalk 00:01:20] legit Mexican, token Mexican whatever you want to call it. Fabi being the Mexican and also anywhere. So she has a lot of knowledge in this area. So she’s… we’re basically going to be learning from her to today. It’s great. She’s going to be dropping some knowledge on all of us.

Fabiola Jimenez: Yes. 100%, because my family comes from a long line of farmers, farmers, farmers. [Crosstalk 00:01:53] Just farmers.

Fabiola Jimenez: But I mean, apart from my musical background, which is not worthy of this episode, but so, and we’re going to be talking about a couple things today. So we’re going to be talking really about just a brief history of mota in Mexico. What it was to what it is now? What does this mean for the cartel control within the lands? What could mota being legalized, what could it really do for Mexico as a country, as a whole? And what does it also mean for future trade relations among different countries as obviously Mexico’s major export is marijuana. So it’s going to be really interesting to see how that unfolds. So, I just want to talk with you a little bit about Mexico and I think we all kind of hear this really interesting story that we learned from Narcos, [inaudible 00:02:54] [crosstalk 00:02:55]. I can’t deny. I cannot tell you that, that’s not true. Like, I really… I can’t say that. What I can say though, is that at one point, this really was just an agricultural commodity.

Fabiola Jimenez: So it was really important to the development of Mexico, but… [Crosstalk 00:03:17].

Mio Asami: Pre-prohibition, right? [crosstalk 00:03:20] Talking like before America decided to [inaudible 00:03:25] Mexico, but America decided to make it and we go to Japan and blah, blah, blah. Right. But so I, I take it, there were regular commodity back before. [Crosstalk 00:03:39].

Fabiola Jimenez: And I think marijuana went for the same things that any other quote, unquote, the substance has gone through in America, because you started off, I mean, having to smoke purposes. I still talk to my aunts and uncles and my grandparents, and they can talk about marijuana, how they used it back in the day when they were out in the middle of nowhere. I mean, Mexico is very rural. So you have these pockets of tourists. See, like you got cobble, you got kind of cool and you got to New Mexico city where you can go back and there’s always like, we call it, we call them [inaudible 00:04:16] the city folk that are in [crosstalk 00:04:19] town.

Fabiola Jimenez: But when you, when you start traveling outside of these tourist destinations, I mean, these people really do live in poverty and we still live in mud huts and sheds made out of their own hands. Like it’s really, it’s very, it’s very bare. It’s kind of how I say it. So using marijuana I’m from [inaudible 00:04:42] is definitely a very common, very common occurrence. And so again, back in the day was an item of luxury. And now when you start thinking about Mexican weed, well, this should whack. This is not, “I don’t want to smoke this”. “I don’t know what this is.” Stix, is it oregano? [crosstalk 00:04:54] But you have this stigma of what is now Mexican weed. And so I think we have to kind of take that for what it is and hope and pray that marijuana goes back to its former glory in Mexico to what it used to be. I mean, before we, in the United States and various individual States started legalizing it, I’m pretty sure when we were like the biggest buyer. I mean, not the biggest, but like our country bought a significant amounts of Mexican weed.

Fabiola Jimenez: [crosstalk 00:05:51] And again, they went through the whole thing of why was it illegal here in America? [crosstalk 00:05:58] People didn’t want to come to into play. They saw the potential, but they couldn’t monetize it. And so the same thing happened in Mexico. And it’s actually kind of interesting because as the government has become more and more involved in the illicit substance trade in Mexico, it actually has caused significant bloodshed. I’m not wanting to say, “Hey, I support the organized crime or cartels,” but I can say, speaking from 100% experience from seeing it with my own eyes, is that as a government became involved and was trying to cut these cartels off was trying to, for their own greed, is not some sort of goodwill or any sort of positive gesture. It was because they were wanting to get cut into this profit margin that the cartels are making.

Fabiola Jimenez: But as they got more and more involved and they were trying to fight the war on drugs in Mexico, they really created anarchy and chaos because what you had, back in the day, with these cartels was that you had these old school, very familial, very traditional way of thinking about being in the business. And so you had the head and he had his sons and his family, and it kind of just kind of trickled down and everyone feared.

Mio Asami: This is not a fuel system.

Fabiola Jimenez: Yeah, exactly. And so as the government starts cutting off the heads of these cartels, you have these younger generations of these guys and gals that are trying to take their own sliver of power. And now you have these very, very unconventional uncouth, pretty savage of youngsters, wielding firearms and smoking crystal meth and moving forward because that’s also a big thing in Mexico right now, what I’ve heard.

Fabiola Jimenez: So this, so it’s really interesting because I mean, you kind of have the same tensions here in a little bit. It’s like you take down the mob and the mafia, right. And all of a sudden, you, you have these little factions of power that are not fighting amongst each other, that don’t abide by the same code of honor or ethics that the older generation stuff. So I think it’s going to be really interesting to see as this becomes legalized and as we continue to move forward, we still have a little bit of some time they’re still voting on a couple of things in Mexico. So it’s not fully there yet. Kind of like what we’re dealing with here with the criminalization. It’s kind of gone. Kind of halfway there, but we definitely would hear some more news in mid-December.

Mio Asami: So, it’s gotten fire up where people are literally on the edge of their seats like, “Oh, shit! This might actually happen.”

Fabiola Jimenez: Yeah.

Mio Asami: But it’s not quite there yet.

Fabiola Jimenez: Right. Exactly. Which kind of talks about what does this for business versus the cartel control? And so I think one of the biggest catalyst for moving this forward was exactly that was trying to [inaudible 00:9:01] control out of the cartels and some of these nefarious actors in moving marijuana. But you kind of fall back into this thing that happened in the US and for these different states, right? The people that had the big money were the ones able to jump in [crosstalk 00:09:18] and to do who has big money [crosstalk 00:09:20]. I see what you’re trying to do, [crosstalk 00:09:28] but that… [Crosstalk 00:09:30].

Mio Asami: I mean, the way I… by all means Mexico is an actual country and California is just a state, but I really [crosstalk 00:09:38] equate it to the same thing. [Crosstalk 00:09:41] I mean, and I also, I’m really interested in how they’re going to go about doing the actual regulations, because the way California did it is there’s a lot of people with big money records. I tell you everybody, there was investor money, there was whatever the else inside [crosstalk 00:09:55]. There’s so much money in California, but the regulations made it so that those people would either be: they would either turn away with cannabis because it’s so strictly regulated, or they can’t get into it because of whatever else regulations there are about disclosure, about TPRI, financial interest holder, all that stuff. So I’m really interested to see how Mexico, even if they do legalize it, then how are they going to go back those regulations about one of their arguments or not arguments, one of the reasons is to try and give the business the control of industry factor businesses.

Mio Asami: But if the businesses themselves, aren’t [inaudible 00:10:39] [crosstalk 00:10:39].

Mio Asami: It’s literally California on a giant scale. [crosstalk 00:10:47].

Fabiola Jimenez: 100%. So I think the idea is there. And I think it could be nurtured to get to that point, but unless there’s some sort of actual, authentic, legitimate programs to help like small businesses or small farmers to be able to capitalize on this, this is just going to be another mode for the cartel to wash their money and move on with just kind of…

Mio Asami: Because if you like to think about it, too, even if they do put in those regulations to take the power out of the cartel and give it to the small businesses [crosstalk 00:11:20]. You know they’re going to come in, and the cartel is going to come in and take you to take advantage [crosstalk 00:11:28] or find you some way to get into it [crosstalk 00:11:31].

Fabiola Jimenez: No matter what, until the actual system itself is fixed, people that are running lemonade stands have [crosstalk 00:11:38] to pay a fee for the cartels [crosstalk 00:11:42] that is not going to stop them. So now you have them. This is a very easy way for them to get into the business, but it’s also, if for some reason they just said, no, its single family owners or whatever or however those rags are to kind of try to take that control away. They’re not going to be able to stop the cartel from getting that cut. [crosstalk 00:12:03] It’s just impossible. [crosstalk 00:12:04] It’s so embedded into the culture now [crosstalk 00:12:07], but it’s really full of shit in your back. [crosstalk 00:12:10] So… [Crosstalk 00:12:11].

Mio Asami: It could be just a step in the right direction. [crosstalk 00:12:17].

Fabiola Jimenez: It is, it is. It totally is. I think one of the biggest hurdles for us in the marijuana business is simply just getting over that stigma.

Fabiola Jimenez: And as it becomes a social moral, I think people are going to be able to talk about it a little bit more freely. And Mexico’s very conservative, very Catholic, very Christian, more poppy, more Catholic, but it’s just a drug. And so as we normalized it, as would any other substance, I think it really will open up some more opportunities, but it is just a little step in the right direction, baby steps [crosstalk 00:12:53].

Mio Asami: As to actual regulations and things like that, like big changes, everything is baby steps.

Fabiola Jimenez: Yeah, yeah. But when we started talking about what does this mean as a country, as a whole? The tourism is on a different level. [crosstalk 00:13:17]

Fabiola Jimenez: There’s a place in Calixto, Mexico that’s called the Tequila and it’s… [Crosstalk 00:13:30] [inaudible 00:13:30] And that’s like their gimmick, right? [crosstalk 00:13:36] There’s definitely going to be like marriage one [crosstalk 00:13:40]. It’s just…it’s so massive. And…

Mio Asami: That’s going to be another [inaudible 00:13:52], same huge.

Fabiola Jimenez: So I think as a country, as a whole, again, the step in the right direction is exactly what the country needs. Will it go through years of filtering as we have in the US shore? But, I think, as a whole this is a really great stuff, and I hope that they take the concerns of the public seriously, and they really try to create programs where people can actually go into this business legitimately and support them in that way. And I think that’s just going to have some, the positive impacts for generations to come now that this is going to be just another agricultural commodity.

Mio Asami: And I’m also imagining because Mexico has such a rich history with it, it’s within this industry, they could be a leading entity. They maybe a leading country in the entire global industry of weed. [crosstalk 00:14:48] I think it will be huge!

Fabiola Jimenez: Yeah. One-hundred percent. You know, you’re no longer going to be thinking like, “Oh, I’m going to get some stems with the Quanta.” [crosstalk 00:14:56] [inaudible 00:14:58]

Mio Asami: They can export it to wherever else it’s legal. We’re talking global impact.

Fabiola Jimenez: Exactly. Which brings us up to our fourth topic is, What does this mean for trade relations in the future?

Fabiola Jimenez: [crosstalk 00:15:25] The impact is going to be something so bananas. Now, when you think about it, you got Canada, you got us [crosstalk 00:15:45], Mexico, [crosstalk 00:15:45]. You just help everyone to be happy and high and just eating. [crosstalk 00:16:00] I think the impacts on trade relations is going to be super huge. Because again, when you start thinking about what does this mean? Okay. So marijuana is not legal. So, [crosstalk 00:16:11] Columbia, a stones of cocaine a lot better. Yeah. Do you… [crosstalk 00:16:17] Give us a marijuana. Give us Mexicans the marijuana. [crosstalk 00:16:23] High of coke or meth [inaudible 00:16:28] everybody, that stuff, personally. But, yes, I think this is going to be a really amazing, incredible opportunity to further expand their relations. And again, it’s something common that across generations, across ethnicities, across county lines, that we can all share in the love of weed. And so I think this is going to be a really incredible, amazing opportunity.

Fabiola Jimenez: So those are four points on the legalization of marijuana. We still have a little bit ways to go. We’ll find out mid-December, and obviously we’ll keep you guys posted as that comes about, but I don’t foresee it not going backwards at this point. It was not getting some of the fine tuning in and some further approval on a couple of obviously some other issues that Mexican government has and kind of the same thing as we do in America, allocating money out, getting funds, figuring out what it actually is going to look like, because once you kind of get into play, it’s a little bit more complicated than just saying, “Hey”, because there’s a lot of other stuff someone’s going to take.

Mio Asami: If it ever made it this far, I’m imagining cartels already making their adjustments. [Crosstalk 00:17:47] All right, what are we going to do?

Mio Asami: We’re going to adapt. So I think once it gets this far, I think it’s good. [inaudible 00:17:58], but it’s okay to be hopeful. But it will actually make it a bit real.

Fabiola Jimenez: I think so. I think so again. It’s just a matter of time, and politics in Mexico is a little bit different than the US or any other country. And so you also have to take that for what it is and realize that the people are speaking, and this is what we’re hoping it to be. I expect a lot of changes to come about for the final order, what that’s going to look like. But again, as we mentioned earlier, it’s a learning opportunity. It’s a step in the right direction. So let’s just kind of keep it going. So, I also want to kind of end with the strain of choice for this episode.

Fabiola Jimenez: So mind me because it’s exactly where it comes from, Acapulco, from Acapulco Gold. So this is a very rare strain sativa. So if anyone has some, please share, and the strain is originated by Acapulco, Mexico, which, if you haven’t been, is absolutely stunning. I grew up going to those beaches. It is described as being very colorful with orange hairs and supreme gold, green, and brown, and there’s plenty of resin on the butts and [crosstalk 00:19:15] pictures. Yes. It’s the most sticky. [crosstalk 00:19:20] It’s such have a sweet fruit flavor, a little bit of earthy and spicy tones, very motivating, very energizing. And it’s actually quite well-known. So please, please, please let me know if you find something because I’ve been looking for them, [crosstalk 00:19:39] if any at all. Thank you, thank you. Nothing is for sale on this episode [crosstalk 00:19:47].

Fabiola Jimenez: None at all, but we do appreciate it if you guys have smoked it. Let us know. [crosstalk 00:20:04] We’ll go buy it. [crosstalk 00:20:07].

Mio Asami: Yeah. Let us know, either Instagram and [crosstalk 00:20:10] Twitter.

Fabiola Jimenez: You can follow me on Instagram @Fabiolacurtivarlaw.

Mio Asami: You can follow me, mia@cultivalaw.

Fabiola Jimenez: Follow us on Facebook, Cultiva Law’s Twitter.

Mio Asami: We have Instagram obviously Cultivating Conversations [crosstalk 00:20:26] .

Fabiola Jimenez: Our main Cultiva Law page. So we got a lot of places you can find us slash stalk us, and we’re okay with that following [crosstalk 00:20:35].

Mio Asami: And we got more episodes coming, guys. [crosstalk 00:20:37] We’re going to talk about the extension of the 2014 Farm Bill, for half, which is huge. We’ve got things like CReDO up their sleeve. We got Delta-8 up our sleeve. We got lots of stuff coming. So stay tuned. [crosstalk 00:20:53].

Fabiola Jimenez: Thanks, y’all!

Mio Asami: Thanks for tuning in.