Mexico seeks to legalize smalltime drug posession

phr

phr

Bluelighter
Joined
May 25, 2004
Messages
36,678
Location
St. Charles, IL
Mexico seeks to legalize smalltime pot, cocaine use (and other drugs)
Reuters
10.2.08


MEXICO CITY, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon, locked in a high-stakes battle with drug cartels, wants to legalize the possession of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana, a plan that will likely irk Washington.

Calderon, a conservative in power for nearly two years, sent a proposal to Congress that would also scrap penalties on carrying small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine and opium for personal use.

Reviving a similar push by his predecessor, Calderon's bill aims to free up police to hunt for narcotics dealers and smugglers, but it could meet opposition in largely conservative Mexico as well as in the neighboring United States.

"What we are seeking is to not treat an addict as a criminal, but rather as a sick person and give them psychological and medical treatment," said Sen. Alejandro Gonzalez, head of the Senate's justice committee.

Former president Vicente Fox tried to pass a similar bill in 2006 but ditched it after Washington objected and critics both sides of the border said laxer laws could lure "drug tourists" from north of the border.

Calderon's bill would mean people carrying up to 2 grams (0.07 ounces) of marijuana or opium, half a gram of cocaine, 50 milligrams of heroin or 40 milligrams of methamphetamine would not face criminal charges.

It would also give Mexican states the power to try drug dealers in local courts, rather than at a federal level.

Drug use is much less common among young people in Mexico than in the United States or Europe, but consumption is creeping up with the growth of the middle class and as tighter border controls mean more cocaine is kept back in the country.

Calderon has deployed thousands of troops to clamp down on the drug gangs that shuttle Colombian cocaine up and over Mexico's northern border.

But cartel violence has soared as a result, killing some 3,000 people this year, including eight that died in a grenade attack, the first major strike on the public by drug hitmen. (Reporting by Miguel Angel Gutierrez)

Link!
 
Maybe if they weren't our neighbor this would be more than a pipe dream. Maybe I'm wrong...

Nice first step, although the 50mg of heroin and meth figures are worthless...
 
^indeed, 50mg heroin or meth could be just one dose after accounting for cuts. and we all know the gov't doesnt differentiate between pure drugs and cut drugs
 
I thought that some drugs (like at least pot) already were at least decriminalized in small amounts for personal use in Mexico? I remember reading about this a few years ago.
 
^they shot the legislation down after washington stepped in and waved its gargantuan, hairy, anti-hedonistic, pro-war dick
 
They are FUCKING RIGHT there will be drug tourists. I'm only a few hours away. However, I can see the mexican cops in border towns getting the dealers to sell 60mg hits of heroin and then busting you on that. Mexican cops are THE WORST. I wonder how they will handle other opioids. What if I dont wana do heroin, I wana do some hydrocodone, or codeine.
 
In terms of heroin, it is a joke of course, as Phrozen said. 50 mgs? Half a single NYC bag? Not many carrying that around, espeically with Tar being as bulky as it is. But it least it is a step in the right direction. I would imagine that once that law has been in place for a while that it would lead to a more lax policing atmosphere in terms of possesion across the board because of the obvious trouble in weighing an individual dosage everytime you encountered a junkie.

I actually have a daughter in that country, in Neuvo Leon State (La Ascencion AKA La Chona) and used to go there often. While Tiajuana always had a population of users, it has really exploded in recent years, according to the media and seizure reports.

Some might have heard about the big AIDs conference in D.F. (Mexico City) this past week and how they were barring those on methadone because "it is prohibited in Mexico." Actually, it is prohibited south of the Frontier Zone. There are about 8 govt. clinics all across northern Mexico so they definitely have a growing issue.

A possible solution to appease Big Uncle Sam might be to allow posession only for Mexican citizens. That would immediately put a big dent on Drug Tourism but ideally it would not come to that...if they even manage to pass the law this time around.
 
smackem said:
However, I can see the mexican cops in border towns getting the dealers to sell 60mg hits of heroin and then busting you on that. Mexican cops are THE WORST.
Click to expand...


seriously.

even if this did come into law, the only thing that it would really change is that the cops would randomly shakedown as many gringos as possible for dope then probably "sell" it back to them haha :|
 
^ shit, maybe if we had a feasible tax system put in place for drugs, we might be able to stave off MORE debt and just generate revenue from us users. 8)

you think washington is gonna care that we're broke and think twice about giving mexico or any other country money to stop trafficking? hell no! we can dream though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top