cannabisnews.com: Mexico's New Drug Use Law Worries US Police

cannabisnews.com: Mexico's New Drug Use Law Worries US Police
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Mexico's New Drug Use Law Worries US Police
Posted by CN Staff on August 27, 2009 at 05:56:43 PT
By Julie Watson, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Mexico City -- Mexico now has one of the world's most liberal laws for drug users after eliminating jail time for small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and even heroin, LSD and methamphetamine."All right!" said a grinning Ivan Rojas, a rail-thin 20-year-old addict who endured police harassment during the decade he has spent sleeping in Mexico City's gritty streets and subway stations.
But stunned police on the U.S. side of the border say the law contradicts President Felipe Calderon's drug war, and some fear it could make Mexico a destination for drug-fueled spring breaks and tourism.Tens of thousands of American college students flock to Cancun and Acapulco each year to party at beachside discos offering wet T-shirt contests and all-you-can-drink deals."Now they will go because they can get drugs," said San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne. "For a country that has experienced thousands of deaths from warring drug cartels for many years, it defies logic why they would pass a law that will clearly encourage drug use."Enacted last week, the Mexican law is part of a growing trend across Latin America to treat drug use as a public health problem and make room in overcrowded prisons for violent traffickers rather than small-time users.Brazil and Uruguay have already eliminated jail time for people carrying small amounts of drugs for personal use, although possession is still considered a crime in Brazil. Argentina's Supreme Court ruled out prison for pot possession on Tuesday and officials say they plan to propose a law keeping drug consumers out of the justice system.Colombia has decriminalized marijuana and cocaine for personal use, but kept penalties for other drugs.Officials in those countries say they are not legalizing drugs — just drawing a line between users, dealers and traffickers amid a fierce drug war. Mexico's law toughens penalties for selling drugs even as it relaxes the law against using them."Latin America is disappointed with the results of the current drug policies and is exploring alternatives," said Ricardo Soberon, director of the Drug Research and Human Rights Center in Lima, Peru.As Mexico ratcheted up its fight against cartels, drug use jumped more than 50 percent between 2002 and 2008, according to the government, and today prisons are filled with addicts, many under the age of 25.Rojas has spent half his life snorting cocaine and sniffing paint thinner as he roamed Mexico City's streets in a daze. Most days he was roused awake by police demanding a bribe and forcing him to move along, he said."It's good they have this law so police don't grab you," said Rojas, whose name, I-V-A-N, is tattooed across his knuckles.Rojas hit bottom three weeks ago when he could not score enough money for drugs by begging and found himself shaking uncontrollably. He accepted an offer for help from workers from a drug rehabilitation center who approached him on the street."Drugs were finishing me off," said Rojas, whose 13-year-old brother died of an overdose eight years ago. "I lost my brother. I lost my youth."Juan Martin Perez, who runs Caracol, the nonprofit center helping Rojas, said the government has poured millions of dollars into the drug war but has done little to treat addicts. His group relies on grants from foundations.The new law requires officials to encourage drug users to seek treatment in lieu of jail, but the government has not allocated more money for organizations like Caracol that are supposed to help them.Treatment is mandatory for third-time offenders, but the law does not specify penalties for noncompliance."This was passed quickly and quietly but it's going to have to be adjusted to match reality," Perez said.Supporters of the change point to Portugal, which removed jail terms for drug possession for personal use in 2001 and still has one of the lowest rates of cocaine use in Europe.Portugal's law defines personal use as the equivalent of what one person would consume over 10 days. Police confiscate the drugs and the suspect must appear before a government commission, which reviews the person's drug consumption patterns. Users may be fined, sent for treatment or put on probation.Foreigners caught with drugs still face arrest in Portugal, a measure to prevent drug tourism.The same is not true for Mexico, where there is no jail time for anyone caught with roughly four marijuana cigarettes, four lines of cocaine, 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams of methamphetamine or 0.015 milligrams of LSD.That's what concerns U.S. law enforcement at the border."It provides an officially sanctioned market for the consumption of the world's most dangerous drugs," San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said. "For the people of San Diego the risk is direct and lethal. There are those who will drive to Mexico to use drugs and return to the U.S. under their influence."Don Thornhill, a retired Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor who investigated Mexican cartels for 25 years, said Mexico's rampant drug violence will likely deter most U.S. drug users, and the new law will allow Mexican police to focus on "the bigger fish."The Bush administration criticized a similar bill proposed in Mexico in 2006, prompting then-President Vicente Fox to send it back to Congress. But Washington has stayed quiet this time, praising Calderon for his fight against drug cartels — a struggle that has seen some 11,000 people killed since Calderon took office in 2006."We work with Mexico every day to combat illegal drugs and cartel violence," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said when asked about the law. "And we look forward to continuing that cooperation."Associated Press writers Marco Sibaja in Brasilia, Vivian Sequera in Bogota, Harold Heckle in Madrid, Elliot Spagat in San Diego, Olga Rodriguez in Mexico City and Matt Lee in Washington contributed to this report.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Julie Watson, Associated Press WriterPublished: August 26, 2009Copyright: 2009 The Associated PressCannabisNews -- Police Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/police.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help

Comment #41 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on August 29, 2009 at 14:57:46 PT
Hope - it's the doughnut graphic
The doughnut graphic always inspires me!
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #40 posted by Hope on August 28, 2009 at 09:16:05 PT
"Hey, let's go thru Customs wasted!"
Sinsemilla Jones.Oh my gosh! If I'd just taken a sip of coffee before I read that it would have been a spewer!
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Comment #39 posted by Hope on August 28, 2009 at 09:09:35 PT
Mr. Virtue
I like that better than Virtuous Bill.He needs to go around with something like a sharp rock in his shoe all, day is something my husband suggested when I repeated to him something I'd seen Bennet say on C-Span one day.He was probably just the Drug Czar then. That was before the World was made to wonder at his wisdom and knowledge of virtue.The last time I saw that statement some younger person made about waiting and being glad for old people to "Die off"... I thought of Virtuous Bill and his buddies and their books, and TV specials, and newspaper and magazine articles about the coming "Predator" generation. All that generated a lot of love, I'm sure.
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Comment #38 posted by Hope on August 28, 2009 at 09:00:35 PT
"He is a paid liar!"
"Gambler"?But, Runruff, that can't be. We're talking about Virtouous Bill here. An instructor in morals... and stuff.
------------Lol!Mr. Virtue, himself.
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Comment #37 posted by runruff on August 28, 2009 at 06:30:38 PT
"The William Bennetts of the world just don't...&q
William Bennett is a gambling addict. I've read he likes the company of "very" young women and by his size and his Pillsbury Doughboy physic, he lives a very sedentary lifestyle as a carbohydrate addict! He is a pontificater of billowy blow-by that should never reach the ears of intelligent people!He is a paid liar!His motto: Will lie for food!
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #36 posted by BGreen on August 28, 2009 at 05:39:00 PT
Sinsemilla Jones
Good post.It seems so clear except to those in power.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #35 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on August 27, 2009 at 22:56:49 PT
Hey, let's go thru Customs wasted!
"There are those who will drive to Mexico to use drugs and return to the U.S. under their influence."I guess the theory here is that, if for some strange reason you can't find drugs in the USA, or if you want the perverse thrill of doing them legally, you go to Mexico, and even though it's still illegal to buy and sell drugs, and you don't know anyone, and you don't speak Spanish, you still easily find your drugs.But once you do the drugs, you forget that drugs are still illegal in the US, and you forget you'll have to go through Customs under the influence, so you go back home to the US. The border agents are too distracted taking payoffs to notice you're wasted, and you get back into the USA stoned out of your mind and run amok.Yes, that's a lot easier than going to the liquor store.
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Comment #34 posted by Vincent on August 27, 2009 at 21:22:29 PT:
They never learn
Interesting article. It would appear that the more tolerant attitudes toward marijuana use that some people espouse, when implemented, or even spoken of, gives the prohibitionists 'conniptions'. I swear to God, these anti-drug "warriors" say the same things over and over again. Will they ever learn?One police chief in the article said that tolerating drug use sends the wrong message at a time when they're fighting against drug cartels.But the truth is that it sends the correct message--that the tactics of the cartels are obsolete. That they can be effective in stopping the violence. The William Bennetts of the world just don't get it, do they?
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Comment #33 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 20:54:51 PT
comment 31 Mykey420 can't resist it...
"Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair."("If you are going to San Francisco.")
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Comment #32 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 20:48:56 PT
mykeyb420
I live too far away but maybe others might be planning on going.
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Comment #31 posted by mykeyb420 on August 27, 2009 at 19:34:53 PT
NORML
is anyone coming to SF for the NORML conference next month??
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Comment #30 posted by rchandar on August 27, 2009 at 15:55:23 PT:
All Hell Breaks Loose Over 5 Grams of Pot
I read the article: total BS. What they're basically saying is not news; they don't do it like US, so they don't know what they're doing. The article insinuates that Mexican law enforcement doesn't know how to handle the drug "problem". FACT: Mexican drug use is far lower than anything in the US. Simply said, most people don't do it. I wish people understood this stuff: how many, exactly, US citizens are sitting in jail in Mexico over minor possession? This is just nonsense: you know, if we wanted to get technical about it, this law isn't meant to solve OUR problems, but THEIRS. They want to make life more accountable and reasonable for THEIR citizens. But throw that out for a moment: how many of us have been imprisoned in Mexico? So they're doing right by us, giving us a chance to stay out of jail after partying all night--this is BAD? Wait, wait. What was the song? Oh,by Consolidated.
"America Number One"--rchandar
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Comment #29 posted by rchandar on August 27, 2009 at 15:50:04 PT:
Forgive Me for Saying so, But...
...WHY should this worry them? Aren't they building a 1,000 mile border fence with electric wire? ...is 5 GRAMS something our wonderful law enforcement should be worried about, when the Michoacan are smuggling tons of it through underground tunnels and over the Rio Grande? ...the answer: you guessed it. Pure politics. They're afraid they'll be embarrased when your daughter vacations in Cancun and gets caught with a joint in her pocket when she comes back through Customs. This "worry" isn't even about drugs, it's about an embarrassing factor that could increase the red-tape scenarios at airports or border checkpoints. We can't admit we have such a horrible neighbor to the south, why can't they just understand that everyone has to be just like us?That's it.--rchandar
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Comment #28 posted by TroutMask on August 27, 2009 at 14:40:29 PT
What we do
My wife and I visit Puerto Vallarta every spring. We learned after visit 1 to bring our own supplies. If you are used to good stuff all the time, you will be disappointed by the quality in Mexico. The couple times we bought anything down there, it was as simple as asking any shop owner, timeshare salesperson, etc. They frown on public smoking (at least in PV), selling marijuana is still a crime, and neither of those things have changed with the change in laws down there.
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Comment #27 posted by ezrydn on August 27, 2009 at 13:48:37 PT:
He who deseves it
If some American JibJab thinks he's going to run over to Mexico, get high and the reuturn is asking for Secondary.
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Comment #26 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 13:35:47 PT
BGreen
Of course, I've noticed.But I understand. I get that way sometimes, too. It seems like if I don't have something to say I shouldn't say anything. Which makes sense. But a hello, even when you don't want to comment, would be appreciated when it's been more than a week since we've heard from you.I like to know if my fellow "conspirators" in "pushing" sanity in drug laws are still standing.
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 13:34:48 PT
BGreen
It's always good to see you. This is a slow time because it's summer. Soon news will pick up more towards late Fall.People sure are reading CNews but commenting is slow. We know where we are and where we are headed. It's full of hope.
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Comment #24 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 13:29:10 PT
AP
Purveyor of sheer garbage.Sheriff Gore said, "It provides an officially sanctioned market for the consumption of the world's most dangerous drugs."No. I think that's actually the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry.Good grief. Should they print that stuff just because the guy said it even though it's an effort to purposely incite public hysteria and panic?
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Comment #23 posted by tintala on August 27, 2009 at 13:27:10 PT:
RE:MR green
Yep those cenotes are a wonder of the world, I was privalged enough to get certified to dive there for a six pack of Dosequis, we went free diving in a cenote no tanks, it was sketchy ,but you had to be a really strong swimmer to get to where we were going, thru an underwater cave up into a huge cave with one hole in the roof. the water was like the bluest ever. one of the mose amazing things.
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Comment #22 posted by BGreen on August 27, 2009 at 13:24:42 PT
re: post 20
I can see the headlines now: Mexican Tourism Numbers Skyrocket While US Plummets.Actually, it's like the Netherlands. Why would I travel just for cannabis when I can already get it in my own town?I wouldn't.The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #21 posted by BGreen on August 27, 2009 at 13:19:36 PT
Thanks, Hope and Hi Everybody!
I know I've been posting as often as it rains in San Antonio. I drop by everyday but I just haven't felt I had much to contribute so I didn't. I should at least say "hi" more often.Thanks for noticing, Hope.Bro. Bud
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Comment #20 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 13:18:36 PT
Now?
"Now they will go because they can get drugs,"What?In case this writer didn't know it... they can get drugs in the US... probably easier than they can in Mexico. Good grief! Have they been asleep for twenty years?Of course "they" take risks to do so in both places... but this writer doesn't know they "can get drugs" now... anywhere?That's so strange to hear someone speak as though they are living and have been living in another universe... or perhaps another dimension of the same universe. They're pushing garbage, it appears.
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 12:17:19 PT
BGreen
Good to see you!You're making yourself too scarce, Bro.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #18 posted by BGreen on August 27, 2009 at 11:44:33 PT
tintala re: Xpuha
Mrs. Green and I stayed at the Xpu-Ha Palace Resort a couple of years ago. The resort and the Riviera Maya were wonderful. The people were even better!We went scuba diving in a cenote!Great times!The Reverend Bud Green
Xpu-Ha Palace Resort
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 11:42:31 PT
Josephlacerenza comment 13
Yup.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #16 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 11:37:51 PT
A Song Tribute From Senator Hatch
RIP Senator Kennedy!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr5oyEDGYkw
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #15 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 11:32:44 PT
Dankhank
I am watching the funeral too. I just loved Senator Kennedy. I doubt we'll ever see anyone like him again.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #14 posted by Dankhank on August 27, 2009 at 11:19:38 PT
OT ...
watching Teddy and listening to the Beatles ... seems right.a "Lion" is leaving.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #13 posted by josephlacerenza on August 27, 2009 at 11:19:14 PT
HOPE!!!!
That as absolutely hilarious!!!You know why it was sooo damn funny?BECAUSE IT'S TRUE!!!Land of the kinda FREE, and the home of the quasi brave!!!
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 11:07:18 PT
Tonight Show last night did a skit about this.
The Mexico decrim.It's up over at DrugWarRanthttp://www.drugwarrant.com/
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on August 27, 2009 at 10:50:11 PT
Suggestions for better choice of words.
Mason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has proposed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has suggested decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has advised decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.Mason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has recommended decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has urged decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has advocated decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has favored decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has supported decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has backed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has espoused decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.orMason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has submitted decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.But of course... some papers are more about fueling contention than reporting.
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Comment #10 posted by EAH on August 27, 2009 at 10:35:32 PT:
Incomprehensible!
There is no limit ti how absurd and ridiculous the never ending debate on drug policy reform can get. It like reading about children arguing in a sand box. When is an adult going to step in and end the foolishness.These incremental half measures aren't going to seriously address the real problems that exist from prohibition. Why should cannabis possession be a fine at all? How is legalizing small amounts in Mexico going make any difference in
criminal gang war? There is too much ignorance and fear behind policy making that of course the resulting policies are not going to work very well.Meanwhile we a MSM that perpetuates myths and lies in the service of fearmongering. In spite of that, the public is still ahead of politicians
on cannabis in California, when are they going to catch up?
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Comment #9 posted by Sam Adams on August 27, 2009 at 09:38:39 PT
speaking the language
interesting, Altavista's spanish translation of cannabis is "cáñamo"
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Comment #8 posted by tintala on August 27, 2009 at 08:33:35 PT:
I have lived in Mexico
and TOURIST were already using cannabis and scripts before they legalized. Cannabis was really easy to get.
Once I was jogging down the beach from xpuha and ran into some MAYANs swilling coors, I asked" DONDE ESTA LA MOHTA?" they took me to their village and hacked me a half ounce with a machete on their table surrounded by hanging tortillas drying for the day. It think it was about 400 pesos then for that much. It was descent. nevertheless, i ran back to my village and even the local "germans" were happy that I scored.
Point is moHTa is easily obtained already.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 08:32:53 PT
Afterburner
That sounds good too.
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Comment #6 posted by afterburner on August 27, 2009 at 08:14:23 PT
FoM
How about chemically-challenged person?
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 07:57:56 PT
One More I Forgot
Instead of drug addict I prefer chemically dependent human being.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 07:55:55 PT
Words
Pushing, drug addict, legalizers, hippies, flaming liberals are a few words that I really mind. I prefer Activism to pushing, drug law reformers to legalizers, progressives to hippies, concerned citizens to flaming liberals. That's all I can think of for now.
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Comment #3 posted by afterburner on August 27, 2009 at 07:38:43 PT
FoM #1
"Mason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has pushed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana""Safer ... which has pushed"!The MSM never lets a chance go by to impugn the motives of cannabis policy reformers. Implied in the emotionally charged word "pushed" is some sinister agenda to force unwanted changes on the unsuspecting public. Maybe, the corpo-rats and their enforcers, the LEOs, don't want these changes. However, the people have spoken at the ballot box several times and approved the direction that Safer represents.Why do we never see the Big Pharma, Agribusiness, Big Oil and the many other corporate lobbyists referenced as "pushing" their self-serving agendas?Go, Safer!ego transcendence or ego destruction, that is the question ... and the answer.
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Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on August 27, 2009 at 07:01:25 PT
AP yellow journalism propaganda
had to expect this from the AP! Be afraid, be very afraid! Hey, we decriminalized in Massachusetts, I wish we would get throngs of partying spring breakers! We could use some more wet T-shirt contests in the middle of March.Reality of course that absolutely nothing changes after decrim - except for LEO.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 27, 2009 at 06:43:48 PT
Denver Marijuana Panel Backs $1 Penalty
Denver Marijuana Panel Backs $1 Penalty on Small AmountsBy Christopher Osher, The Denver PostAugust 27, 2009Colorado -- Denver's marijuana policy review panel agreed Wednesday to send a letter to the presiding judge of Denver County Court urging a $1 fine as penalty for possession of marijuana of less than an ounce.The current fine schedule indicates a $50 fine for such offenses, plus a $100 drug surcharge required by the state of Colorado and a $10 "bureau fee."Mason Tvert, a member of the panel and the executive director of Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, which has pushed decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, said state law requires the surcharge and the $10 bureau fee.He said that if Presiding Judge Marcy Celeste accepts the recommendations, the penalty would still stand at $111.Tvert said lowering the fine would send a message to police "that it is not worth their time or the court's to issue any more citations."The panel agreed to send the letter to the judge on a 6-2 vote.Copyright: 2009 Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_13212872
URL
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