The Mexican Congress yesterday approved a bill permitting the legal possession of small amounts of some drugs (marijuana, heroin, cocaine, LSD etc).
This puts Mexico in the forefront of countries in the hemisphere trying “non U.S. approved methods” of addressing their drug abuse/drug trafficking problem.
As we in Jamaica know to our cost, the U.S. perception of what is effective in the fight against drug abuse i.e. throwing huge amounts of money at law enforcement, is what has prevailed in our legislature to date.
Just as it is hardly likely that many young Americans pass through adolescence without illegally sampling at least one highly addictive legal drug (tobacco, alcohol, firearms !!!), it is hardly likely that harsh laws will ever significantly reduce a trade in goods for which there is such huge demand.
Why do the Americans never consider Singapore which for years has had, and more importantly, implemented, laws requiring capital punishment for convicted drug traffickers ? Despite regularly sending convicted drug traffickers home in a box, Singapore continues to have drug dealers, drug users and drug traffickers.
It seems that like sex and religion, drug abuse in the U.S. is a subject upon which reason, experience and common sense cannot get a hearing……..
So congratulations to Mexico for doing as they see fit and as they think best.
Please note that while much is being made of the undoubted emergence of China and India as world powers, Mexico under Vicente Fox has moved from being a U.S. client to being a U.S. neighbour every bit as independent, alien, and scornful of U.S. hubris as Canada to the north.
“Addictive Thinking, Second Edition : Understanding Self-Deception” (Abraham J. Twerski)
“Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington’s Futile War on Drugs in Latin America” (Ted Galen Carpenter)
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