Posted on 05/06/2006 7:28:54 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
BOGOTA, Colombia - Mexico has passed a sweeping bill legalizing the possession of small quantities of almost all illegal drugs, including heroin and cocaine.
The regime, likely to be one of the most liberal in the world, is designed to avoid clogging prisons with drug addicts, allowing police to go after big-time dealers.
Under the bill, it would be legal to possess 25 milligrams of heroin, five grams of marijuana, half a gram of cocaine, as well as small amounts of LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, amphetamines, and a hallucinogenic cactus, peyote.
All that remains is for President Fox to sign the bill into law, a certainty despite American reservations, as it was he that proposed the legislation in 2004.
"This law gives police and prosecutors better legal tools to combat drug crimes that do so much damage to our youth and children," his spokesman said.
While unhappy about any law that made the availability of drugs more widespread and fearing a massive flow of drug tourists heading south, America has avoided direct condemnation of the bill.
The new Mexican bill closes legal loopholes that have allowed drug users to be prosecuted while dealers walk free.
It will allow local judges and the police to decide whether a person should be prosecuted.
Even those caught with small amounts of drugs, legal under the new law, will have to go before a judge, prove they are addicts and seek treatment.
The sale of drugs or their use in public would still be illegal.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
Legalizing crimes in order to reduce jail populations and give cops more leisure time is beyond all common sense and logic.
I was using murder and rape as an extreme in order to make that point...........which, you missed anyway.
Jailtime is needed for people that are a danger to the general public and need to serve time for offenses that have voilated others rights. Personal drug use does not violate others rights or saftey. Most drug users are also non-violent and dont need to be seperated from the public. However drug users that are a problem such as those who steal etc. to support their habit DO need to be given jail time.
A college student that gets caught with a little weed or blow doesnt need to be put in jail because that is simply a waste of money and resources.
As if our high schools and universities weren't graduating enough idiots, you'd legalize the possession and use of 'recreational' drugs so that we could graduate an entire generation of idiots that are stoned out of their minds to boot.
Then, in a few years, after half of these stoners have opted out of the work force in order to spend more time getting high, or, have been forced out of the work force through drug screening test (or would you abolish these also using a violation of privacy argument) we'll be spending the same about of money, or more, on the social programs than if we'd have locked up a few of the little snots to begin with.
So you are saying that college students using drugs are all idiots? Sadly thats far from the truth. I know many people who have recently graduated or who will do so soon with honors that use drugs responsibly and dont let it interfere with their work. Students are smart enough to be responsible and work hard and know when there is time for relazation. Students who work hard and then on the weekend smoke some pot or drink or use other drugs are no harm to anyone and are definitely not idiots.
Your argument basically says drug use automatically makes you an idiot and an addict. And that is just laughable.
I have a suggestion. Since President Fox appears to want to dump his unemployment problem on America through illegal immigration, perhaps America should dump the illegal drug use problem on Mexico by encouraging addicts to go there.
If that doesn't smarten up old Vincente about rectifying the problems with the border, nothing will.
Regards, Ivan
This will stop arrests for small timers and the Mexican cops will now have to look elsewhere for their bribe money. They will still be arresting people, just not as many dope users.
Bush will twist his buddy Vincente's arm to not see this bill passed. Such a bill would make it tougher for the pols to pass amnesty and keep border enforcement as it is which is extremely ineffective. The bill would allow all illegals to become independent drug contractors as opposed to the present system which is gang controlled. Illegal immigrants could finance their excursion into the US by carrying a little dope to defray costs.
I see a bus load of Kennedys heading south of the border.
Or why don't we pull a Castro on Mexico and empty our prisons of drug addicts/dealers and send them to Mexico- under the stipulation that if they are ever caught on US soil again they'd get life in prison.
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