Mexico Rethinks Drug Prohibition

From the Washington Post:

Mexico's Congress approved a bill Friday decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of drugs for personal use, including cocaine and heroin. ... Mexican officials have expressed hope the law will allow police to focus on large-scale trafficking operations rather than minor drug busts. "This law gives police and prosecutors better legal tools to combat drug crimes that do so much damage to our youth and children," said [Vicente] Fox's spokesman Ruben Aguilar. U.S. officials scrambled to come up with a response to the bill.

Really? What do you reckon that response will be — an attaboy and a nice bunch of blooming poppies? Washington will insist — against all reason and against much evidence to the contrary — that any form of tolerance for illegal substances sends the wrong message to children, will wreak havoc on the population's morals, health, and general well-being, and so on.

Still, kudos to Mexico for taking a meaningful step towards ending prohibition, especially in the knowledge that it must displease its mighty neighbor to the north.

Meanwhile, I'm feeling quite a bit of mirth over the news reports from the U.K. saying that a small amount of cannabis has been found in the home of Defense Secretary John Reid. To avoid embarrassing a member of the Blair cabinet, the police are trying to let Reid off the hook by pointing out that the substance was found in a guest room and could have been there for years. Very creative. Something tells me that such an excuse may fly when you're a high-level politician; when you're Joe Schmo, however, you'd probably be looking at an arrest record. Laws are for the little people, don't you know?

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=

A more somber take on the decriminalization of drugs in Mexico comes from Nicky Eyle of ReconsiDer, a Syracuse-based group fighting drug prohibition. Nicky writes:

Decriminalization, as opposed to legalization, does nothing to provide for access to these drugs. It leaves in place the illegal selling and the police actions aimed at curbing those sales. It does nothing to remove the profits from the pockets of the cartels or the smaller dealers. It does nothing to make the Mexican streets safer. If the shootings continue, it will be seen as a failed idea and things could get tighter once again. Of course it's possible that President Fox, who published articles endorsing legalization before he took office, will take the next step and legalize drugs... That would be a sensible and truly bold move.

Comments

[Garth]

I live w/in driving range of the US/Mex border.... I will no longer have to consider moving to, or near, Vancouver. I see a vacation coming

[Martin Owens]

Well then, it's certainly time the government got a grip on all those folks who will be pouring over the border ..... the Mexican government, that is!

I predict an instant boom in narco-tourism.
Dope hungry gringos will strain local supplies until the calls for a border fence will come from Mexico City, not Washington. US customs agents will leave the illegal aliens alone and concentrate on returning US citizens.

This is too damn funny.