Mexico to decriminalize pot, cocaine and heroin
 

http://news.**********/s/nm/20060428/...BhBHNlYwM5NjQ-

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Possessing marijuana, cocaine and even heroin will no longer be a crime in Mexico if the drugs are carried in small amounts for personal use, under legislation passed by Congress.

The measure given final passage by senators in a late night session on Thursday allows police to focus on their battle against major drug dealers, the government says, and President Vicente Fox is expected to sign it into law.

"This law provides more judicial tools for authorities to fight crime," presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar said on Friday. The measure was approved earlier by the lower house.

Under the legislation, police will not penalize people for possessing up to 5 grams of marijuana, 5 grams of opium, 25 milligrams of heroin or 500 milligrams of cocaine.

People caught with larger quantities of drugs will be treated as narcotics dealers and face increased jail terms under the plan.

The legal changes will also decriminalize the possession of limited quantities of other drugs, including LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, amphetamines and peyote -- a psychotropic cactus found in Mexico's northern deserts.

The legislation came as a surprise to Washington, which counts on Mexico's support in its war against drug smuggling gangs who move massive quantities of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines through Mexico to U.S. consumers.

A delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives visited Mexico last week and met with senior officials to discuss drug control issues, but was told nothing of the planned legislative changes, said Michelle Gress, a House subcommittee counsel who was part of the visiting team.

"We were not informed," she told Reuters.

HARDENED CRIMINALS

Hundreds of people, including many police officers, have been killed in Mexico in the past year as drug cartels battle for control of lucrative smuggling routes into the United States.

The violence has raged mostly in northern Mexico but in recent months has spread south to cities like vacation resort Acapulco.

Under current law, it is up to local judges and police to decide on a case-by-case basis whether people should be prosecuted for possessing small quantities of drugs, a source at the Senate's health commission told Reuters.

"The object of this law is to not put consumers in jail, but rather those who sell and poison," said Sen. Jorge Zermeno of the ruling National Action Party.

Fifty-three senators voted for the bill with 26 votes against.

Hector Michel Camarena, an opposition senator from the Institutional Revolutionary Party, warned that although well intentioned, the law may go too far.

"There are serious questions we have to carefully analyze so that through our spirit of fighting drug dealing, we don't end up legalizing," he said. "We have to get rid of the concept of the (drug) consumer."

Umm...holy crap. That is just awesome. Wondering how the US 'war on drugs' is going to weigh up against their next door neighbors decriminilisation?

I used to goto Tiajuna from San Diego when I was there, and when I used to visit mates in Corpus Christie we would also cross the border to drink underage, buy liqour, and go to strip clubs. You could live like a king on $50. I'm guessnig the kids currently living in those areas are right now going WOOOOHOOO! Not only can a 17 year old drive across the border to get drunk, they can do a couple rails, hit a speed ball, and make it home for classes in the morning.

This is also happening in the UK as well, they are lowering penalties for drugs like pot and exstacy, and in Ireland tis the same. In fact, most of Europe now has very lax drug laws that are rarely enforced unless you go out of yer way to anger the local police.

Just wondering how long the US will continue its 'war' when the rest of the world is making these things legal.

That is awesome.

See Mexicans do have alot of sense. Get the dealers not the addicts.

Did someone say otherwise?

No...................

Oooh, sorry tenet, I totally read it the wrong way. Err, just ignore me.

This is a very good initiative. The War on Drugs has been a total failure, and a policy that most of the time damages the very people it tries to "protect", namely the addicts. Of course, this doesn't include the weed smokers, but the people into opiates and other hard drugs. The dealers, mobsters and cartels only get richer and more hardened in the face of adversity. If the police can divert resources from meaningless tasks like busting poor people for small amounts of drugs, and go after the big fish instead, so much the better. It will also free up prison cells, and hopefully spare ordinary users from economic sanctions and other abuse they don't have a back to bear.

It doesn't say anything about whether people will be allowed to grow their own pot, however, which is really the ideal way of doing things. Also, I think the quotas you're allowed to carry are a bit on the small side, and only focus on a limited variety of drugs. I'm sure the laws are more detailed than the article shows, though. But hey, I don't live in Mexico, so it's all the same to me. I hope this happens here soon, though.

I just found it really funny when I was watching CNN and they classed marijuana as being a hard drug.

So, what's soft? Nyquil?

Damn, that's stupid. Don't people in the media smoke weed anymore? Whatever happened to fact checking? :D

You ever reported the news?

You ever reported the news...on weed?

Maybe "cigarettes" and "alcohol"

Oh...I thought you were referring to 'unintended use' type drugs...

Hell, I think that there's a definite distinction between marijuana and other drugs. Granted, I can't smoke marijuana anymore, but it still remains relatively harmless as long as you're not operating heavy machinery (and even Nyquill suggests that you don't).

Why it's been so demonized is beyond me.

Damn the man.

I think its funny that they have had to twice reduce the entry requirements into the FBI over the past 5 years because they can't get completely drug-free candidates anymore. This is a trend which has happened throughout the police dapartments in the US.

Anyone else find it ironic that the people who enforce the laws can't even abide by them or go without breaking them? What kind of draconian system is in place that even those charged with upholding the law can't get by without flagrantly breaking it.

And then the same people go and spend their days taking away the freedoms of young kids who did the same thing they were doing when they were young.

It is the law. It dosen't matter what they did when there where young. If you live in the u.s. you go by the laws. Thats it.

Ha!

They've been using the military to keep people out of prison for a long time now. I know plenty of people who chose to join the military rather than go to jail. Just because somebody screwed up when they were younger doesn't mean they don't change.

Except me.

Because I still crap my pants.

Shhhhhhh......

His name was William Randolph Hurst. He, along with his buddy Mr. Dupont wanted to stop the use of hemp many many many many many moons ago.

The rest is history.

Cambo -

So by your line of logic, its the law, then you agree women in Ian should wear burkas or be stoned. I mean, its the law. In China, speaking out against the government can get you life in prison. Its the law.

Thats ok then by your line of reasoning - if the government decrees it, it should be obeyed blindly, as it is the law?

Xng -

The difference is, those adults are arresting children and putting them in jail for 5-10 for crimes themselves at the same age committed. Thats hipocracy at its finest.

Is -

Thats one of many large corporations who lobby for stricter drug laws go under the guise of 'The partnership of a drug free america', which is made up of Anheiser Busch, Phillip Morris, Merck, and a cadre of liqour producers, cigarette producers, and of course drug companies.

Oh Captain My Captain -

As I understand it, you are correct; however it was Mr. Hurst and Mr. Dupont that started the whole mess in the US. As I understand Mr. Hurst (A Newspaper mogul for those that don't know. Something like 80% of all Americans read a Hurst paper for a very long time) had the corner on the paper market, and Mr. Dupont was about to introduce a brand new fabric that he wanted to be bigger than big. He called it Rayon. They both felt that the Hemp industry was cutting into their profits. After all, hemp makes excellent paper as well as strong, long lasting fabric; and since it’s a weed (literally) it is quickly re-grown after harvest. A renewable resource… That simply wouldn't do.

It's something I've always found to be funny...Marijuana was illegalized so that the rich could get richer. Isn't that always the way of it.

I actually agree with Cpt. Sternn