Mexico Legalizes Users
Mexico has legalized personal use of all kinds of currently illegal drugs.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge.I wonder if research on the medical use of marijuana such as treating/preventing cancer will be moving to Mexico since the DEA has strangled such research in America?
The law sets out maximum “personal use” amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution; the law goes into effect on Friday.
Let me point out that such a law will do nothing to limit the reach of the drug cartels. In America under Alcohol Prohibition, alcohol consumption was legal. Its manufacture and distribution were not. All Mexico has done is legalize demand while doing nothing to legalize supply. The supply chain murders will continue.
H/T Drug Policy Forum of Texas
Cross Posted at Classical Values
Posts
5 comments:
Just wondering ... what will happen when this policy turns out ... not to stop drug crime ?
In fact in holland, though you have to go to the actual statistics collection agency, drug legalization led not only to an increase in drug-related crime (production and hard drug use and dealing), but also to an increase in "associated" crime : prostitution, DUI, fights in public, ...
So let's see in a year, and if crime increases in mexico city as it has in Holland, will you rethink your position ?
Not that anyone has any illusions about the answer.
This policy will have no effect on drug crime. Drug crime is caused by the profits made available by arbitraging prohibition.
We had plenty of alcohol crime during alcohol prohibition when alcohol use was legal. This will be no different.
BTW the Mexican policy is not "legalization". It is exactly what I called it "legalizing users". And guess what? The violence is not caused by the drugs. It is caused by the money. Full legalization is the only way to get the excess profits out of the business.
In fact in so far as his policy enlarges the customer base (after an initial curiosity spike I don't expect to see a significant change in the user base although casual use might go up some) there will be more violence since there will be more money.
BTW I hope you and yours never get a cancer preventable or curable by the use of pot. Because then you would be a drug war casualty too.
We had plenty of alcohol crime during alcohol prohibition when alcohol use was legal for users but illegal to manufacture or distribute.
Your point was that allowing drugs would reduce crime. That prohibition caused "alcohol crime".
And now drugs are legalized, you take back your words ? Shouldn't allowing drugs reduce crime ? Btw, in holland both the use AND sale was legalized, as I imagine happened in Mexico (haven't checked to thoroughly, I admit). This has taken excessive profits out of the sale of "mild" drugs, but still crime went up, not down as you claim.
(in the past, in America, crime also went down massively when drugs were initially outlawed)
You've been watching too many lefty lunatics argue, backtracking like that.
Tom,
Can you read? Drugs are not being legalized. Users are bring legalized.
During alcohol prohibition users were always legal. There was no law against drinking alcohol. And yet there was a war going on.
Now I know that the mere mention of drugs fogs your brain but perhaps you will explain how the problems of alcohol prohibition were caused by not punishing users.
BTW re: the ancillary problems you mentioned? Were they as prevalent before drug prohibition?
And perhaps you would care to comment on Police Officer: Prohibition Is A Ruination.
Again: Mexico is not ending drug prohibition. Drugs are still prohibited.
Post a Comment