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Posted on 05/02/2006 6:08:26 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president will approve a law that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and other drugs to concentrate on fighting violent narco gangs, the government said on Tuesday.
President Vicente Fox will not oppose the bill, passed by senators last week, presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar told reporters, despite likely tensions with the United States.
"The president is going to sign that law, there would be no objection," he said. "It appears to be a good law and an advance in combating narcotics trafficking."
The approval of the legislation, passed earlier by the lower house of Congress, surprised Washington, which counts on Mexico's support in its war against gangs that move massive quantities of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines through Mexico to U.S. consumers.
Under the law, police will not penalize people for possessing up to 5 grams of marijuana, 5 grams of opium, 25 milligrams of heroin. Nor does the law penalize possession of 500 milligrams of cocaine -- enough for a few lines.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...
Is this the beginning of a massive increase in drug smuggling into the US?
build the fence now
Does that mean that the USA will have to allow illegal aliens the right to use and sell the drugs in the USA?
Probably subsidize them!
Hey bartender, I'll have a blended margarita with salt, and a doobie.
Maybe. But maybe it means the massive transfer of dollars to Mexico by "tourists." Buying the drugs the U.S. won't let them buy. (Not legally anyway)
ping
Or maybe both...
Yes. If they have a right to be here illegally, they have an attendant right to use drugs illegally. Per NAFTA.
Mexico is in a massive "war on drugs", why not help them? If you go to Sfgate.com and in the search window put in "Mexico War on Drugs" you will read about the following.
1. Violence grows as Mexico fights drug cartels.
2. 4 drug agents shot to death in Nuevo Laredo.
3. 2 police officers decapitated (like in Irag) in the city of Acapulco.
4. The Mexican government has arrested the powerful leaders of the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels.
5. City can not get anyone to be police chief, all have been assassinated.
You don't read about these events in a drug loving, democrap MSM. Maybe, just maybe the Mexican are on the right path here!
Forget about NAFTA. Fox is just playing catch up. If an American citizen, traceable and with property, does recreational drugs, he risks having a lot of property seized, simply because he's an easy target. If an illegal alien does illegal drugs, no one cares. Why should a Mexican have more rights in the U. S. than in Mexico? Fox is just leveling the field for his citizens.
Come to think about it, why should an illegal alien have more rights (or at least be less subject to the law) than an American citizen?
You have nailed it. It's about the money. The authorities can seize assets from a U.S. offender for minor offenses, but there is nothing to be gained from an illegal. I think that the seizure of assets for minor crimes needs to be severely restricted, and officers should have their priorities directed instead to more serious crimes. Too much money, manpower, and resources is devoted to petty nonsense.
So cops are going to carry around scales to measure how much the drugs weigh. This is as absurd as our immigration laws. Welcome home drug lords.
This will only encourage our druggies to move to Mexico. Can't see why anyone here would be against it.
Ironically, this may make the current administration notice the border more than anything else could.
I agree. Personally I hope to see thousands of junkies wading the Rio Grande for a hit.
This way the illegals he sends our way can sell a little dope to pay their way in to the country.
I honestly think President Bush is trying to set up the US for his brother Jeb.
Is that per NAFTA truck drivers too? What a mess! They can just drive across the border sauced.
He is setting it up for Hillary.
Fox has said "If you can't beat em, join em". Without question we should heed *HIS* advice when it comes to the illegal immigration problem. How long will it be before he berates the US for arresting illegal immigrants "who only have a small amount of marijuana et al...".
Its coming. Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when.
We've got a lot of people calling for drug legalization here. So now we've got a ringside seat to see how it works out for Mexico.
Good luck to them.
Meanwhile, lets work on that fence. Faster, please.
sw
Hey - it'll be great for cable ratings. There's always going to be a few that never come back. Well, maybe more than a few.
Ok, maybe I'm stupid (did too much dope in my youth?), but I just don't get it.
Since I see nothing (at least, in the article) as to just where these drugs will come from, just how will this damage the Cartels? Unless the Mex. gov. intends to take over the production and distribution, won't the users still be getting the dope from the bad guys (with no incentive now to stop)? Isn't this tantamount to repealing prohibition but letting Capone and the mobs to manufacture, sale, and distribute the booze? Isn't this actually surrendering and empowering the Cartels?
Oh ya. And decriminalizing small amounts will make the Mexican gangs just go away.
*WE* could decriminalize small amounts and they'd just sell it themselves here.
Given that most of those 'tourists' are likely to come from CA (Hollyweird, San Fran., Santa Cruz, etc...) you make a very good point.
I expect to see an increase in traffic in both directions - California's counter-culture going down to buy drugs and drugs coming up here to be sold.
Bush and John Walters are having nightmares. I hope John Walters can never sleep soundly again.
I guess he learned it from Bush.
What's next, government supplied dope for the poor?
¡Un toke sobre la línea!
I agree. Reminds me of bush41 doing same for bubba-boy. As the xlintons are close to the bushes, one can only guess how close and what each knows about the other.
This is becoming very disheartening. We need Ronaldus Maximus!!!
Fox has taken the lead from Bush's stance on illegal aliens. Too many people breaking the law, too many people to arrest, so let's legalize it.
Sure, but it does prevent crooked cops from using the system to send anyone they wish to jail by planting a demonized substance upon a citizen. It also would prevent them from selectively prosecuting the drug war in order to purge the voting rosters of a significant percentage of minorities. But, should we be taking tools away from our LEOs and DEAmen?
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Presidente Zorro Ping!
Drug legalization, open borders, gay marriage, no defense establishment, are leading indicators you live in a loser nation
Fox now saying he won't sign it, according to ABC radio news.
Is this guy related to John Kerry?
Yes and no.
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