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19 p.m. April 28, 2006

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's Congress approved a bill Friday decriminalizing possession of small quantities of marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine and even heroin for personal use, despite U.S. criticism. The only step remaining was the signature of Mexico's president, whose office indicated he would sign it.
The bill, passed in the early morning hours by Mexico's Senate on a 53-26 vote with one abstention, has already been approved in the lower house of Congress and was sent to the desk of President Vicente Fox for his signature.

Mayor: Mexico drug measure 'appallingly stupid'

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Allowable drugs
List of maximum allowable drug quantities approved for personal use by Mexico's Congress:

 Opium (raw, to be smoked) 5 grams
 Heroin, 25 milligrams
 Marijuana 5 grams
 Cocaine 500 milligrams
 LSD .015 milligrams
 MDA 200 milligrams
 MDMA (ecstasy) 200 milligrams
 Mescaline: 1 gram
 Peyote: 1 kilogram
 Psilocybin (concentrate, pure, active ingredient) 100 milligrams
 Hallucinogenic mushrooms (raw, off the farm): 250 milligrams
 Amphetamines: 100 milligrams
 Dexamphetamines: 40 milligrams
 Phencyclidine (PCP, or Angel Dust) 7 milligrams
 Methamphetamines: 200 milligrams
 Nalbuphine (synthetic opiate): 10 milligrams
 
 

“The presidency congratulates the Congress for approving the reforms,” presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar. “This law gives police and prosecutors better legal tools to combat drug crimes that do so much damage to our youth and children.”

Mexican officials hope the law will help police focus on large-scale trafficking operations, rather than minor drug busts. The bill also stiffens penalties for trafficking and possession of drugs – even small quantities – by government employees or near schools, and maintains criminal penalties for drug sales.

Oscar Aguilar, a Mexico City political analyst, said Fox appeared almost certain to sign the law – his office proposed it, and his party supports it – and that he had apparently been betting that it wouldn't draw much notice.

“That's probably why they (the Senate) passed it the way they did, in the closing hours of the final session,” Aguilar said. “He's going to sign it ... he's not going to abandon his party two months before the (presidential) election.”

U.S. officials scrambled to come up with a response to the Mexican move. One U.S. diplomat who requested anonymity said “we're still studying the legislation, but any effort to decriminalize illegal drugs would not be helpful.”

Janelle Hironimus, a spokeswoman at U.S. State Department, said “preliminary information from Mexican legislative sources indicates that the intent of the draft legislation is to clarify the meaning of “small amounts” of drugs for personal use as stated in current Mexican law.”

Current Mexican law leaves open the possibility of dropping charges against people caught with drugs if they are considered addicts and if “the amount is the quantity necessary for personal use.”

But the current exemption isn't automatic. The new bill drops the “addict” requirement, automatically allows any “consumers” to have drugs, and sets out specific allowable quantities.

Mexican officials refused repeated requests for comment.

The move could have an impact on the two countries' cooperation in the war on drugs – or the vast numbers of vacationing students who visit Mexico.

The bill says criminal charges will no longer be brought for possession of up to 25 milligrams of heroin, 5 grams of marijuana (about one-fifth of an ounce, or about four joints), or 0.5 grams of cocaine – the equivalent of about 4 “lines,” or half the standard street-sale quantity (though half-size packages are becoming more common).
 
“No charges will be brought against ... addicts or consumers who are found in possession of any narcotic for personal use,” according to the Senate bill, which also lays out allowable quantities for a large array of other drugs, including LSD, MDA, MDMA (ecstasy, about two pills' worth), and amphetamines.
Some of the amounts are eye-popping: Mexicans would be allowed to posses one kilogram (2.2 lbs) of peyote, the button-sized hallucinogenic cactus used in some native Indian religious ceremonies.

Mexican officials declined to explain how the law would work – including whether drug use in public would be tolerated, or discouraged by other means.

The law was defended by Mexican legislators – and greeted with glee by U.S. legalization advocates.

“We can't close our eyes to this reality,” said Sen. Jorge Zermeno, of Fox's conservative National Action Party. “We cannot continue to fill our jails with people who have addictions.”

Ethan Nadelmann, director of the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance, described the bill as “a very good move,” saying it removed “a huge opportunity for low-level police corruption.” In Mexico, police often release people detained for minor drug possession, in exchange for bribes.

Selling all these drugs would remain illegal under the proposed law, unlike the Netherlands, where the sale of marijuana for medical use is legal and it can be bought with a prescription in pharmacies. While Dutch authorities look the other way regarding the open sale of cannabis in designated coffee shops – something Mexican police seem unlikely to do – the Dutch have zero tolerance for heroin and cocaine. In both countries, commercial growing of marijuana is outlawed.

In Colombia, a 1994 court ruling decriminalized personal possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin and other drugs.

The effects could be significant, given that Mexico is rapidly becoming a drug-consuming nation as well as a shipment point for traffickers, and given the number of U.S. students who flock to border cities or resorts like Cancun and Acapulco on vacation.

“This is going to increase addictions in Mexico,” said Ulisis Bon, a drug treatment expert in Tijuana, where heroin use is rampant. “A lot of Americans already come here to buy medications they can't get up there ... Just imagine, with heroin.”


 

I guarantee cruises to Mexico will be more popular.

oh man, lots of kids are gonna die on spring break now. 

at least its good to see countries making progress on drug reform, cuz decriminilization and education is the only way to combat drugs; the "war on drugs" is one of the greatest failures of our time.

Aren't those statements contradictory?  It's progress, but more people are going to die from ODs?

not really, i was speaking of the stupid american kids that will go down there and get in trouble cuz they dont have any self control or brains

I totally agree.  The scare tactics and "just don't do do it" attitude may work for some, but not on the masses.  Education and decriminalization are steps to a better world.

Exactly. The Netherlands is the perfect example on how it should be done.

So i'll see ya there ?  ;D

Maybe it's just because it worked so well on me, but how could witnessing a homeless, toothless crack head begging for money on the street not work on the masses?  I mean, if I'd ever harbored any desire to experiment, it died when I was first exposed to that, and it was explained that addictive personalities were common in my family.  For me, it was an extremely effective scare tactic, as I put two and two together without any further help. 

Bad news y'all.  Apparently Bush talked V. Fox out of this.

Personally I think it was a great idea - kind of like a criminal exchange program. 

Mexico "sends" us their hard working people looking for opportunity and in return we "send" them our slackers and losers! 

Ha!  I like that.   ;D