Is Hemp Legal in Mexico?

Industrial hemp (canamo industrial) is legal to cultivate, process and trade in Mexico when the plant contains 1% THC or less. The framework draws on Article 245(V) of the Ley General de Salud, which classifies cannabis at or below 1% THC as a substance with wide industrial uses, plus the 12 January 2021 federal regulation that established licensing, traceability and quality standards.

Cultivation licenses are granted by SENASICA (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria) with seed certification by SNICS; COFEPRIS oversees post-harvest processing, derivative manufacturing and finished products; SAT handles customs and tax. Over 500 industrial hemp production licenses had been granted by the end of 2024, primarily for fiber, textiles, construction materials, paper, bioplastics, animal bedding and food-grade seed products. Hemp food, fiber and cosmetic products are widely sold. Smokable hemp flower remains a regulatory gray area because law enforcement cannot distinguish it from high-THC cannabis without lab testing.

Mexico still lacks a dedicated Ley de Canamo separate from the cannabis regulation, and the proposed federal cannabis reform would consolidate hemp and cannabis under a single regime.