News & Politics - Mexico makes, Pot, Heroin, and Cocaine legal

Clash181 · 04-28-2006, 08:35 PM

I can understand Pot, but Heroin and Cocaine? I don't think this is going to work out the way he wants it to.

Quote:

By Noel Randewich
Fri Apr 28, 6:51 PM ET

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."

Lexis · 04-29-2006, 03:40 AM

This sounds like a bad plan to me - especially in regards to cocain and heroin, two of the most hateful drugs on the planet. This is not just a personal issue, its about all the people along the supply route that get hurt by the trade in cocain and heroin.

General Maximus · 04-29-2006, 06:43 AM

Those Mexican's are frigging nuts. Are they trying to drive their 2nd world country back into the 3rd world? Idiots.

Milo-phile · 04-29-2006, 08:07 AM

This is going to set the drug war back another twenty years. It's just going to make it easier to bring in into the US. Good job, Mexico. You screwed us all over.

**ROCKSTAR** · 04-29-2006, 06:48 PM

Is this for real? This is nuts!

Dark Half Undine · 04-29-2006, 07:24 PM

In my opinion, I don't think it is going to do anything different. It isn't like they legalized the carrying of drugs around like it is paper.

Plus I think that right now it is just as easy to get drugs as it would be to legalize very small amounts. In fact easier, with more bad people taking over and treating people like crap.

BESIDES, just like in America it is ridiculous to sit there and charge people who have drugs, who aren't selling and stick them in jail for 5 or more years. That is what is wrong with the "drug war" in this country and what is probably wrong in Mexico too.

And I love how there is this idea of progress in the "drug war" in America. Personally I think that waging war is pointless because it will never work. And instead of finding better solutions, legalizing drugs and controlling them, or figuring something else out besides prosecuting all the little unimportant people in the drug trade, they have bulls*** laws and punishments and all of these alarmists ridiculous anti-drug programs that are not educating anyone.

So if this works for Mexico, which I think it has the potential to do, I say good on them.

Lexis · 04-30-2006, 04:45 AM

I agree the focus should be on shutting down the guys who are dealing and producing the stuff but I also think its important to send the message that users are free of blame for the damage drugs do to society. By all means, make them undergo rehab but don't pretend like its no big deal to be financing the monsters who kill hundreds of people each year.

Ms Carolyn · 04-30-2006, 09:41 AM

(sarcasm on)Having seen how extremely successful the war on drugs is in this country (sarcasm off), I can't fault them for trying a different approach. Perhaps by focusing on dealers instead of trying to go after everyone, they might actually be able to make some kind of real dent in the problem. As opposed the way it's going now, which is pretty darned laughable.

Anyone who wants to read a fairly accurate summation of how the war on drugs works in this country, go read the old Bloom County comic strip when it dealt with Cat Sweat Hair Tonic being declared an illegal substance. It was rip-snortingly funny, but heart-breakingly true.

The thing is, when dealing with users rather than dealers, I would like to see money put into providing treatment, not incarceration. What we're doing now in the U.S. clearly isn't working. Let's watch and see what happens, before we jump in to condemn the choices made by others. If you have limited resources, it generally makes more sense to concentrate them, so maybe this will work for them. At the very least, I don't want to be an "ugly American" about it, and assume failure without giving them a chance to make it work.

Dark Half Undine · 04-30-2006, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms Carolyn

(sarcasm on)Having seen how extremely successful the war on drugs is in this country (sarcasm off), I can't fault them for trying a different approach. Perhaps by focusing on dealers instead of trying to go after everyone, they might actually be able to make some kind of real dent in the problem. As opposed the way it's going now, which is pretty darned laughable.

Anyone who wants to read a fairly accurate summation of how the war on drugs works in this country, go read the old Bloom County comic strip when it dealt with Cat Sweat Hair Tonic being declared an illegal substance. It was rip-snortingly funny, but heart-breakingly true.

The thing is, when dealing with users rather than dealers, I would like to see money put into providing treatment, not incarceration. What we're doing now in the U.S. clearly isn't working. Let's watch and see what happens, before we jump in to condemn the choices made by others. If you have limited resources, it generally makes more sense to concentrate them, so maybe this will work for them. At the very least, I don't want to be an "ugly American" about it, and assume failure without giving them a chance to make it work.

I whole heartedly agree.

indium · 05-15-2006, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexis

This sounds like a bad plan to me - especially in regards to cocain and heroin, two of the most hateful drugs on the planet.

Heroin is actually less dangerous than tylenol (biologically). What is dangerous is the methods addicts are forced to resort to to get their fix. full legaisation (not just decriminalisation) is the only way to deal with that. What recreational substances are legal and which are not has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with soceity prejudice.

Lexis · 05-15-2006, 11:23 AM

I am prejudiced against the dealers to put people through so much misery - just today, the guy who is said to be the man who supplied most of the UK's heroin was put in jail for 22 years. His operation intimidated the local community, one guy got his finger chopped off, he kidnapped and threatened people who disagreed with him.

I'm sorry but I don't feel anything by disgust for these people who pray on people with addictions. Yes we need reform in our approach to drugs but I don't want to see the Prime Minister organising a legal drug trade.

86amanda86 · 05-18-2006, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indium

Heroin is actually less dangerous than tylenol (biologically).

Well I guess that depends on your definition of 'dangerous.' Heroin is easily one of the most addictive sustances on the earth. It destroys lives, and families, get's people sick through needle sharing. I've never heard of someone shooting another someone in the head for their tylenol stash...

Ms Carolyn · 05-18-2006, 07:09 AM

Midol stash, maybe, but not their Tylenol!

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

86amanda86 · 05-18-2006, 07:55 AM

Quite...

**TheAngel** · 05-18-2006, 08:42 AM

Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs on the planet, with most addicts having withdrawal symptoms after just one dose. It also has a 99% relapse rate with "recovering" addicts.
The simple fact is, people are weak, they have convinced themselves that drugs are desirable, that the effects are positive, and that it's something they want, and until that mentality changes, nothing the government does is going to help. Any legislation passed will be circumvented by addicts, by dealers, and by suppliers.
I live in a meth town, I had a lab just down the street from my house, these people, to be brutally honest, are pathetic and have convinced themselves that drugs are their only way out, no law is going to change that perception of their circumstances and I can only hope they OD before they blow up their whole appartment complex or get their kids addicted.


Fan Forum > General Discussion > News & Politics > Mexico makes, Pot, Heroin, and Cocaine legal