The Costa Rican Ministry of Security rejects the idea of legalizing marijuana in tourist areas, idea that was suggested by Mexico’s Tourism Secretary.

Gustavo Mata, Minister of Security in Costa Rica was adamant about not agreeing with the idea of legalizing drugs in tourism zones, and was clear that these type of concessions “would only generate more and serious social problems as well as more deaths and violent crimes”.

According to several media outlets, Mexicos’ Tourism Secretary, Enrique de la Madrid has suggested that legalizing cannabis could help reduce drug violence at big tourist resorts. “It is not enough that we strengthen the police force, it is also necessary to weaken organized crime, and a way of doing this is that what today is considered illegal, and therefore it is battled, and when it is battled then the price of those goods raises, we should incorporate in the future to the society, why? Because the studies I have read, there can be others, but the ones I’ve read, establish that marijuana has a lower level of addiction than alcohol and tobacco, why are we giving this drug a different treatment than what we give to other two that are worse and actually legal? And let’s see it backwards, if we make alcohol or tobacco illegal we will be creating criminal groups that would live from this. As a second point, (it being illegal), has not given positive results in the level of consumption or the level of production.

However, late Thursday, De la Madrid posted in Tweeter saying “I want to clarify that my opinion on legalizing marijuana was a personal commentary.”

Mata, on the other hand, reaffirmed the need of more resources to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and better citizens’ security for the benefit of all.

“Costa Rica’s society deserves to live in peace and harmony, not with the risk of drugs and its terrible consequences”, concluded Mata.