Jacarandas in DF

Last week was semana santa in Mexico, so everyone was on vacation and the news cycle was slow.  However the jacarandas are blooming and the city is beautiful without traffic and lots of people.

Drug policy is not always an issue that is popular on the left and many conservative and libertarian groups are in favor of reform.  Recently I read about the conservative case against more prisons and the importance of changing drug laws as a means to reduce incarceration in the US.  Check it out.

The big news from Colorado, following the passing of recreational marijuana last November is the final report from the task force.  This included recommendations from the task force to the Governor.  This is very important because it is the first time that a state government puts forward time and resources to think about regulating marijuana for recreational use.  Recommendations included that marijuana businesses have access to the federal banking system (!), and that you don’t have to be a resident of Colorado to buy marijuana–although you will be allowed to buy slightly less. Read the full report here.

Life is like riding a bicycle, to maintain your balance, you have to keep moving forward.

I read a lot about transportation innovations this week and also found a new hero.  Peatónito (little pedestrian in spanish) is a transportation activist in Mexico City and he works to create pedestrian crossings, sidewalks and increase awareness of the rules of the road.  He uses the popularity of “lucha libre” to get his message across.  I was super impressed with his work and you will be too–especially if you have ever tried walking around Mexico City.

Lastly, I read about an application they are using in Atlanta that allows bikers to share their routes with city planners.  This way, the government has a sense of how bikes use the road and also to report problems in their path, such as potholes.  Now we just need something like that here in Mexico. Any takers?