Posted on 08/22/2009 10:42:17 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Mexico City, Mexico (AHN) - The Mexican government decriminalized the possession of small amounts of drugs, including cocaine, heroin and marijuana, officials said Friday.
The move to decriminalize drug possession by enacting a law is to curb corruption in the police force and encourage addicts to seek treatment.
Thousands of people have lost their lives in a drug war in Mexico. The reports and officials put the number of deaths at 11,000 over the last three years, but experts say that the unofficial figure could be higher.
President Felipe Calderon, who took office in late 2006, has stepped up his government's efforts to tackle drug related violence and trafficking issue along the U.S. border with Mexico.
A spokesman from the attorney-general's office told reporters that the government has no intention of legalizing drugs fully. However, the new law does also cover LSD and methamphetamine possession.
What a great idea! Now decriminalize murder the murder rate to drop to zero, just like magic!
We shall see. Maybe the current pushers will get themselves so tripped out that they will be unable to do Mexico any more harm!
The big draw isn’t domestic to Mexico but northward in the USA. When THAT stops paying big bucks, we may learn something.
It is odd that we hanged people for murder in the 19th century, and never needed any bans on hemp (marijuana), cocaine, morphine, &c which were stocked at apothecaries.
Ridiculous. Weed is one matter, Cocaine is another matter entirely.
Cocaine is wildly addictive and potentially lethal. Period. And, addiction to cocaine can begin - depending on the user - very quickly after even it's first use. Also, one line of cocaine can, and has killed. Presumably, many people don't even dabble with cocaine in the first place because of it's illegality and it's cumbersome retail distribution. With that stigma and those barriers removed, the end result will undoubtedly be more addiction and more addicts. Mexico is expanding the problem, exponentially, not reducing it.
There's absolutely NO similarity to cocaine and it's addictive as well as lethal properties and to marijuana. While I'll stipulate to the possible and even probable benefits of decriminalizing marijuana - a drug that really is less addictive than alcohol, and rarely if ever kills anyone - but, to decriminalize even a small amount of cocaine is opening a Pandora's box and stoking the flames of addiction.
Don't forget rape. You know they just do it because is illegal. If you empower men to brutally assault women and force themselves on their victims, it just takes all the fun out of it. They'll probably take up bridge or Yahtzee instead.
This is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of.
It is like bargaining with a burglar to take only the lesser valued items in your home.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Public and government to gangs: you've won.
It seems to me that the corruption does not come from the user but from the big guys running the drug operations. THEY are the ones with the BIG BUCKS to bribe anyone and everyone. Why doesn’t Mexico just declare a 10 year moratorium on enforcement of all drug laws?
Large numbers of Americans will now head to Mexico for their drugs, because they will be CHEAPER. Americans bringing the drugs back over the border will be even more frequent.
And some will die, because of it. And Mexico will have to deal with the social costs of it’s decision, as well.
I see nothing good coming from this.
“Well, it’s a start...remove the incentive for a black market and things MIGHT improve. *SHRUG* “
Actually, it’s the worst possible solution.
Incentives for a black market skyrocket in this situation. Demand increases because there are no remaining penalties on users. But Supply continues to be restricted. Price goes up. Profits from drug trafficking go up. There is more money to fight over. Traffickers fight over it and pay more politicians for protection.
There are two stable points in handling drugs: (1) The Singapore model—user’s and traffickers are severely punished without exception; and (2) Everything is legal.
In between those extremes, corruption and trafficking are rampant.
The Singapore model is the best model.
We also used commonsense, aka DON'T PANIC.
The same is true with drugs, the incentive of it being illegal makes the con worth doing.
Or we could try the Singapore police state model, no thanks.
SPOKANE Discovery of a box of useless dynamite on the railway track two and a half miles southwest of this city led to special precautions being taken to guard the line over which President Roosevelt’s train passed this morning [August 4] en route to Washington. Six deputy sheriffs guarded the section of the line near which the discovery was made. The President’s train passed safely at 10 a.m. Officials are skeptical about the dynamite having any connection with a possible plot against the President. '
Bingo. We have a winner here!
Ya....it didn't end murder so maybe under your logic we should decrimilize murder since it still happens with all the laws.
People who used drugs back then suffered the consequences and died. There was no welfare system that allows people to do drugs all day and ignor their children and responsibilities. Unproductive, lazy, irresponsible people usually suffered from natural consequences that were great examples to children (rather than the media's glorification of all that makes one irresponsible.)
Think prohibition.
Does this apply to turistas?
Great point, and impossible to argue either the facts or the logic.
The unintended consequence of our social programs is that they empower the prolonged use of debilitating drugs and alcohol. If people are too strung out to get a job, they'd normally just starve or freeze to death - essentially, we'd have Mr. Darwin working his magic.
But, with welfare, tax credits and food stamps, the "users and abusers" now just have to make it to the first of each month - a much lower threshold for existence than what was in place in 1850.
That’s it Mexico! Give your citizens all the drugs they want, but NEVER the 2nd amendment where they might be able to protect themselves from these narco terrorists!
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