Is smoking weed a human right? Days after voters in the US state of Ohio rejected a proposal to legalise cannabis for recreational use, Mexico has ruled that smoking pot is a fundamental human right.

The Mexican Supreme Court ruled by 4 to 1 that banning the consumption and cultivation of cannabis for personal use violates the human right to free development of one’s personality.

The ruling only applies to the four individuals who brought the case to court, but widespread legalisation may follow.

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Mexicans are against decriminalizing marijuana, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday, just days after a Supreme Court ruling that opened the door to an eventual legalization.

Some 66 percent of people polled in the telephone survey by El Universal newspaper opposed the legalizing the drug. But 63 percent said they backed a wide-ranging debate on marijuana legislation in Mexico, which has suffered a decade of vicious drug violence that has killed tens of thousands.

Last week, just a day after voters in Ohio rejected a constitutional amendment to legalize the recreational and medical use of marijuana, Mexico’s Supreme Court headed in a different direction: The country’s top justices concluded that national laws making it illegal to personally produce, possess, and consume marijuana violated the rights of Mexicans. The ruling itself has received considerable attention, but the rationale behind it less so.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto says he will open a national debate to review the country's marijuana laws ahead of a key United Nations meeting next year, following a landmark court ruling.

Speaking a few days after Mexico's Supreme Court ruled to allow four plaintiffs to grow and smoke pot recreationally in a decision that could eventually open the door to marijuana legalisation, Pena Nieto said he was not personally in favour of legalisation as it could induce people to taking harder drugs.

However, he has asked the Interior Ministry to bring together various specialists, including academics, doctors and sociologists, to debate the future of marijuana regulation in Mexico, which has suffered a decade of gruesome drug violence.

Last Wednesday, November 4th, the Mexican Supreme Court heard a case regarding whether or not individuals had a human right to use cannabis. This case began in 2013, when the Sociedad Mexicana de Autoconsumo Responsable y Tolerante (SMART), a Mexican cannabis advocacy group, petitioned the Federal Commission against Health Risks (COFEPRIS) for the legal right to cultivate, consume, and possess cannabis because it is a human right.

Mexico have ruled that outlawing possession and use of cannabis represents a fundamental violation of human rights for Mexican citizens. 

Mexico’s Supreme Court voted 4-to-1 in favour of the ruling, which now gives lawmakers a very promising political case to introduce marijuana reform bills at both the state and federal level in Mexico.

Washingtonpost.com reports:

High spirits. As most everyone knows by now, the Mexican Supreme Court issued a ruling yesterday opening the door to marijuana self-grows. Some details from El Daily Post: “Mexico's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesdaythat growing, possessing and smoking marijuana for recreation are legal under a person's right to personal freedoms. The five-justice panel approved the measure in a 4-1 vote. At this point, the ruling covers only the plaintiffs in one case, a group of people wanting to form a pot club. The ruling did not approve the sale or commercialization of marijuana, and it is not expected it will lead to general legalization.

Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled on marijuana use on November 4. 

In a 4-to-1 vote, the first chamber of Mexico’s Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on November 4 that allowed for limited legalization of recreational marijuana use. While the ruling only grants legal rights to the original four plaintiffs in the case, proponents of the ruling see this as the first step in a chain that could bring legalization to the whole country.

Below, we break down what you need to know about marijuana prohibition in Mexico and what are the next steps.

A marijuana-themed magazine in Mexico was always going to represent a challenge to the authorities who have the power to prohibit publications considered to run counter to "proper customs." Yet now that the Mexican supreme court has opened the door to the possible legalization of recreational use of the drug, the magazine's publishers feel that they have morality-based regulations on the back foot.

"Let's celebrate the beginning of change!" the magazine Cañamo México posted on its Facebook page after the court voted on Wednesday in favor of permitting four individuals to cultivate, transport and consume marijuana for fun. Subsequent posts focused on infographics detailing the ruling's consequences.

Together, they form the Mexican Society for Responsible and Tolerant Personal Use, whose Spanish acronym spells “SMART“, hoping the Supreme Court will rule in their favor on Wednesday.

The court’s decision could hasten efforts by Mexico’s states to change their drug laws, which have so far yet to advance beyond limited debate over the use of medical marijuana.