Mexican presidents past and present have public spat over cannabis permits

In four consecutive days of press conferences from 11th to 14th April, Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador alleged that cannabis permits awarded to companies linked to former president Vicente Fox in 2018 involved influence peddling and corruption, inciting a public spat between the two throughout the week.

On 11th April, López Obrador said in his daily morning press conference that the director of the regulatory Federal Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks (Cofepris) had launched an investigation to review 63 permits awarded to market and sell cannabis products.

López Obrador alleged wrongdoing, saying that the 63 permits were awarded five days before the conclusion of the administration previous to Fox’s of president Enrique Peña Nieto in 2018.