Former Mexican President Vicente Fox Quesada is at the center of controversy after the Federal Commission for the Protection against Health Risks (Cofepris) issued an alert for the illegal sale of products made with CBD from the Paradise brand, in which the former leader has shares.
Cofepris stated in a press release that brands like Paradise do not have the necessary authorization to sell food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, or beverages containing CBD. Despite his stance in favor of cannabis consumption, Fox has advocated on several occasions for the legalization of the production of all drugs, including cocaine and synthetic drugs, arguing that this measure would help control their distribution and combat drug cartels.
Since leaving the presidency in 2012, Vicente Fox has become an activist in favor of marijuana consumption, promoting its legalization for medicinal and recreational purposes in countries such as Uruguay, the Netherlands, and the United States. He expressed his position in an interview with Yordi Rosado in 2023: "I am totally in favor of the freedom of each person to consume whatever they desire, and therefore, all drugs should be legalized."
In 2019, Fox announced his intention to cultivate marijuana on his ranch in Guanajuato to produce and study the plant, arguing that it would help eradicate the violence associated with its illegal use. On the other hand, the company Paradise, dedicated to CBD products, has been the subject of a seizure of 1,811 products and the closure of one of its stores in Mexico City by Cofepris in July 2023.
Paradise, which has nearly a hundred stores throughout Mexico, has among its shareholders Vicente Fox, businessman Marcus Dantus, and actor Roberto Palazuelos. The company offers a variety of products, such as hemp seeds and cannabis extracts, whose quality, safety, and source of manufacture have not been adequately verified. This has raised concerns regarding the legality and safety of the products marketed by the company.
