Former Mexican President Vicente Fox Talks NAFTA, Trump And Regulated Marijuana Trade

Vicente Fox, who served as president of Mexico from 2000-2006, has become known for his outspoken criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump and his stance in favor of the legalization of drugs.

In Fox's view, the government should take a hands-off approach to social issues. Anything that doesn't affect third parties should be allowed — including drug use, production and trade.

“It’s the consumer who is the one that can make a product good or bad," Fox said in a recent interview. "If a consumer takes a truckload of pot and eats it, he’ll probably have a problem. But education leads to responsible use, and responsible use is incentivized by a legal framework that regulates production, trade and consumption of cannabis."

When Fox brought up the issue of a free drug trade between the U.S. and Mexico, he called for a regulated, legal trade in cannabis, poppies and other drugs and raw materials between the neighboring countries.

How would it work?

“We’ve discussed the whole process that’s needed to arrive at legalization. It starts with a change in public perception, continues with education and ends with a political decision to legalize and regulate all drugs,” Fox, 75, said. “This is the domestic aspect of this process. Then comes the international aspect of it all.”

“[Trump] is a retrograde, authoritarian, dogmatic, stupid fake prophet."

Nearly every country on the continent experiences violence and pays a price for keeping cannabis illegal, Fox said.

“We need to incorporate international cannabis trade into the NAFTA and stop treating it as a criminal issue. We have to see it as a public health issue instead," he said. “The challenge here is fighting Donald Trump, who is a retrograde, authoritarian, dogmatic, stupid fake prophet."

On May 30 and 31, Fox will host the “CannaMexico World Summit” in Guanajuato, Mexico, with a focus on the market, health, the legal framework, other countries’ experiences and ethical and moral issues tied to marijuana.

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Illustration by Bocha Barrena.