MEXICO. - The former Mexican president Vicente Fox asked Congress today to address the issue of legalizing marijuana use, after inaugurating a symposium on the subject at his ranch in the central state of Guanajuato, Mexico.

"I hope Congress does not send a legalization initiative to the ‘freezer’, but instead debate on it," said Fox at a press conference, referring to the debate that is being promoted by the congressman Fernando Belauzaran, from the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

The "US-Mexico Symposium on legalization and Medical Use of Cannabis" will end on Saturday at the Fox Center, in collaboration with Microsoft executive, Jamen Shively.

According to the Fox Center, during the symposium "experts of both countries will exchange information and experiences on the implementation of a public policy on the legalization of cannabis".

"Within the legalization, the government will have to continue to apply the law, will have to keep on chasing criminals, and will have to continue to persecute all violators of the law," said the former president (2000-2006) in the opening remarks of the meeting.

He added that "in the new scenario, the Government should educate, regulate and prevent. All of this is essential in order for this to march in order."

Fox has spoken in recent years in various forums for the legalization of drugs, especially marijuana, as "a necessary measure" to end the "war on drugs".

On June 5th during another symposium, Fox said that if marijuana is legalized, then he would probably become a producer, and argued that such a move would benefit the country and affect the drug cartels.

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Omar.Martinez@Sandiegored.com

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