cannabisnews.com: Legalization Of Drugs May Be On Agenda





Legalization Of Drugs May Be On Agenda
Posted by FoM on March 21, 2001 at 07:45:52 PT
By Mike Trickey, Southam News
Source: National Post
The President of Uruguay is to use next month's Summit of the Americas in Quebec City to raise the issue of legalizing drugs as a way of fighting illegal international cartels.President Jorge Batlle Ibanez said he will try to open debate on legalization of drugs either formally or informally. "Imagine the money you spend to impede drug traffic and imagine that huge amount of resources on education for the people who really need help," he told The Washington Post.
The President said the best way to address the civil war in Colombia would be to legalize drugs and admit Colombia into NAFTA.Meanwhile, the Mexican President has agreed with statements by his top police officials that legalization is the only way to win the war on drugs. Vicente Fox speculated in weekend interviews that legalizing drugs would eliminate the profit motive and violence that goes with illegal trafficking."That's right, that's true, that's true," Mr. Fox told the newspaper Unomasuno when asked if he agreed with a police official's support of legalizing drugs.However, Mr. Fox said Mexico would not and could not act unilaterally and that he did not expect any international action soon."When the day comes that it is time to adopt the alternative of lifting punishment for consumption of drugs, it would have to come all over the world," he was quoted in El Sol de Mexico. "Humanity some day will see that it is best in that sense."Latin leaders have made similar observations in the past, but they usually wait until after they are out of office for fear of economic reprisal by the United States, which has taken a zero-tolerance position against drug use, trafficking and production.Officials at the Mexican embassy in Ottawa said Mr. Fox is not advocating legalization of drugs nor is Mexico going to attempt to bring the topic to the Quebec summit agenda.The summit takes place on April 20-22 and brings together 34 heads of state and government."The President is talking about the possible decriminalization for possession of some drugs for personal use as some other countries have done, but that would require international agreement," embassy official Alfonso Nieto said yesterday. "But for the time being, we have declared war against drug trafficking. A total battle against drugs."Mr. Nieto also said while there has been some public debate in Mexico, drug decriminalization has not been discussed by the National Congress and is not part of the country's summit agenda."There are other issues, like democracy-building, like security, like free trade that have a much higher level on the agenda."Canadian officials say they have had no indication Mexico has changed its approach to fighting drug producers and traffickers."In all of our meetings with the Fox administration so far, they have never brought up the subject of legalizing narcotics," said Foreign Affairs spokesman François Lasalle.Mexico has sent a series of conflicting messages on its approach to the war on drugs since Mr. Fox was elected last fall.He stunned the United States with the appointment of two pro-legalization officials to senior positions in his Cabinet. Alejandro Gertz, the former police chief of Mexico City and now Public Security Minister, has talked about the need to take economic incentives out of drugs and said Mexico should consider the Netherlands' approach to drug use and sales.Mexico's new Foreign Minister, Jorge Casteneda, a left-leaning academic and former guest columnist for Newsweek magazine, has written that legalization might be the only way to win the war on drugs and made reference to U.S. President George W. Bush's former cocaine use.However, any plans the Mexicans might have had to embark on a course diverging from the U.S. policy of prohibition appeared to be derailed after Mr. Fox and Mr. Bush met in January.The official communique released after the Presidents' summit contained language pointing to a return to the American position of zero tolerance."Drug trafficking, drug abuse and organized crime are major threats to the well-being of our societies. To combat this threat, we must strengthen our respective law enforcement strategies and institutions and develop closer, more trusting avenues of bilateral and multilateral co-operation."We want to reduce the demand for drugs and eliminate drug-trafficking organizations. To this end, we will undertake immediate steps to review policies and co-ordination efforts in accordance with each country's national jurisdiction."Just two months later, however, Mexico was again talking about legalization."The debate is there, in the Mexican society," Enrique Berruga, Deputy Foreign Minister, told reporters prior to the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas in Ottawa. "In the face of such a dramatic problem, such a situation and dangerous one, all options have to be considered. We don't know, because there is no precedent on this, on how effective this would be."Mr. Berruga says the assumption made by supporters of legalization is that such a step would remove the profit motive and associated violence with illicit trafficking, "but we don't know."The Inter-Parliamentary Forum, which was attended by 100 lawmakers from 27 countries, did not discuss legalization, as had been proposed at a preliminary meeting last September by a Colombian congressman.Colombia's government opposes legalization and recently accepted more than $1.3-billion in American military aid to wage the "war on drugs."Forum delegates agreed more had to be done to strip drug barons of their profits, but did not discuss legalization as a way of doing that."The fight against drug-trafficking and money laundering is a universal struggle," said Ecuador's Antonio Posso Delgado.But he was critical of the U.S. aid package to Colombia, much of which is to be used to fund a program of spraying toxic chemicals on drug producers' fields.Note: Uruguay's President wants to start debate in hopes of ending civil war in Colombia.Source: National Post (Canada) Author: Mike Trickey, Southam NewsPublished: March 21, 2001Copyright: 2001 Southam Inc. Address: 300 - 1450 Don Mills Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3R5 Fax: (416) 442-2209 Contact: letters nationalpost.com Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/ Forum: http://forums.canada.com/~nationalpost Related Articles:Mexican President Suggests Eventual Legalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9072.shtmlUruguay Leader Backs Drug Legalizationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8479.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by MikeEEEEE on March 21, 2001 at 15:21:58 PT
Watch the dominios fall
As prohibition falls watch the drug warriors scream. The more they scream the more we are winning.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on March 21, 2001 at 14:36:55 PT
Go Go Go Governor Johnson
Governor Johnson was GREAT! I just had to post it!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by FoM on March 21, 2001 at 14:30:31 PT
On Now on CNN
Barry McCaffrey and Governor Johnson are going to be on. It's 5:42 PM ET.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by dave692001 on March 21, 2001 at 13:33:17 PT:
weed should be legal
i think marijuana should be legal because then it would stop a lot of people from getting charged and spending half of there life in prison it would also preevent a lot of little kids from smokeing the sweet green buds because it would be harder for them to get there hands on it and it would be easier for me to get it   it also prevents people from pulling out a gun and going on a shooting spree the way i see it smoke bongs not barrels  peace im out
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Comment #5 posted by New Mexican on March 21, 2001 at 11:23:48 PT
CNN: AWESOME INTERVIEW WITH GARY JOHNSON: ALL DAY!
UNBELIEVABLE! CNN devotes first 5 minutes of noon (MST)news to a poll showing 74 percent of Americans thinkthe war on drugs is a lost cause. Gov. Johnsondestroys the antis arguments. E-mail him and thank him for being so honest and outspoken. This man will not give up! Any connection to the news of Mexicos President coming out for legalization? I'm sure! Continuing coverage through-out the day, (and weeks and months and years). Direct quote from Lou Waters! And a follow up about new increased Ectasy penalties and pregnant women having to consent to drug tests! CNN must be tired of licking up to Bush for 3 months and create the appearance of being anti-Fox spews. Well done! Go Gary! I feel better already!
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Comment #4 posted by New Mexican on March 21, 2001 at 10:57:19 PT
Breaking News: White flag on drug war: CNN
Lead-in to news at noon: Americans waving white flag onthe 'war on drugs'...could this be the turning point?Nightline does 5 nights on drug war and CNN follows.Gary Johnson interveiwed LIVE after showing a clip fromTraffic..Its on now! Peace!
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Comment #3 posted by Sudaca on March 21, 2001 at 08:43:47 PT
Fox - Battle
I hope this approach is not abandoned by OAS or discarded off hand.South America now has a problem . The "Drug War" has started to become a military war. Mercenaries in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are starting the fighting already. Uruguay doesn't share borders with the countries in the line of fire, and it's a small enough country that it can bring up the topic without risking an invasion from the US. Look at Venezuela; I give you odds 5 to 1 that in a few weeks time you'll see Chavez (president, critical of Plan Colombia, nationalistic, problematic for U.S. policy) being accused of aiding the Drug Barons, the FARC being identified as the Drug Barons, Cuba involved in all of this, and Plan Colombia extended to round up all opposed to the US. Chile, Argentina, Uruguay have reason to be concerned. Bolivia has been strangely silent through all of this, but does anyone believe their recent claims of having succeeded in eradicating Coca from the country?Notice too, that Battle thinks NAFTA is really the solution. This I think is closer to the real point for him.
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Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on March 21, 2001 at 08:43:02 PT:
!Viva la libertad!
This development is very encouraging. Chances are, though, that the big dog (Yanqui) sets the agenda, and no such views will be aired. Should a legalization proposal arise, el pero grande yanqui will squash it like a cucaracha.
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Comment #1 posted by defenderoffreeworld on March 21, 2001 at 08:25:46 PT:
way to go uruguay, 
my home country. i knew there was something taking place, but man, if its here on cannabisnews then it must be big. lets hope, i can see some tendencies starting to blow our way, but you know how it is with the u.s, all they have to do is push a few buttons, bribe a few authority figures, and there go all our ideals and hope. oh well, i don't think this will happen this time, the movement is too strong and the ideals to reasonable.however, the uruguayan president, besides this initiative he is taking with which he hit it right in the head, is a hardcore oligarch who has only benefited the rich since he assumed office. i wonder what lead him to take such a stance.
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