Argentina and legalizing pot
Argentina follows Mexico toward decriminalizing marijuana. What does this mean for the war on drugs?
A budding Mazar Sharif variety of marijuana plant
(San Francisco Chronicle/Corbis/Paul Chinn)
The war on drugs is getting complicated, said Jacob Sullum in Reason. Argentina’s Supreme Court ruled that it’s unconstitutional to punish adults for private marijuana use, a big step toward decriminalizing the drug. The ruling is based on the “privacy clause” of Argentina’s constitution—private pot use doesn’t “offend public order or morality”—but it comes just days after Mexico eliminated criminal penalties for holding small amounts of drugs. And Brazil and Ecuador are close behind.
That’s not a coincidence, said Alexi Barrionuevo in The New York Times. From Mexico to Argentina there’s “an urgent desire to reject decades of American prescriptions for distinctly Latin American challenges,” including drugs. In February, ex-presidents of Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia called the U.S. “war on drugs” a “failure,” and urged Latin America to adopt the less-punitive “drug policies found in some European countries.”
The report from the three leaders may be a “big factor” in the Argentine ruling, said Joshua Keating in Foreign Policy, as well as the region’s “major rethink on drug policy.” But it “remains to be seen” if it will have any impact north of the border. U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske is taking a “wait-and-see attitude,” but President Obama has too much on his plate to “touch drug policy right now.”
Latin American leaders, especially in Mexico, wish he would, said Katie Hammel in Gadling. But while a drug policy that focuses “more on reducing harm to drug users and society” wouldn’t be a new approach to the war on drugs, I don’t see it happening “any time soon” in the U.S. Meanwhile, I’ll “stick to booze.”
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16 Comments
Posted by nkdpagan, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 9:43 am 'bout time.
Posted by Rudy McGillvray, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 9:45 am I agree that the U.S.'s policy on drugs is wrong or wrongheaded. The DEA should be joined to the FDA and employed to ensure the quality and purity of drug entering this country.The true gateway drug is tobacco, which, according to authorities is going to kill 6million peole, rising to 10 million over the next 10 years. The next big killer is alcohol, responsible for half of all deaths on our nations highways.
Posted by todd, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 10:48 am Nothing will really change until the U.S itself finally Legalizes Weed. The Majority now wants it and the rest of the world is calling for it.
Posted by WOODBUTCHER, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 11:37 am Every time we make another law limiting the use of cannabis or other controlled substance's we strengthen the drug cartels and make it easier for minor's to obtain these drug'sAll prohibition of cannabis has done is make billions for the cartel's fund corrupt politicians and cop's and allow our children to access it w/o any over sight . locking up a person becuase they have a drug habit is foolish at best and closer to inhumane. it is also extreamly expensive . And what have we gotten for the trillions we have spent on the war on drugs ?
Posted by WOODBUTCHER, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 11:43 am We have gotten Over crowded Prison's corrupted law enforcment official's and politician's . more potent and more readily aval. drugs of all variety's with absolutly no over sight in thier sale , prohibition is the main cause of teenage drug use. as long as it remains illegal the kids will be able to access it on the streetit is time to replace the narcotics officer's w/ drug counslers and doctors and make the cops go after white collar criminals and child molesters. they are way more dangerous than a person smoking pot eating ice cream
Posted by WOODBUTCHER, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 11:44 am We have gotten Over crowded Prison's corrupted law enforcment official's and politician's . more potent and more readily aval. drugs of all variety's with absolutly no over sight in thier sale , prohibition is the main cause of teenage drug use. as long as it remains illegal the kids will be able to access it on the streetit is time to replace the narcotics officer's w/ drug counslers and doctors and make the cops go after white collar criminals and child molesters. they are way more dangerous than a person smoking pot eating ice cream
Posted by WOODBUTCHER, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 11:44 am We have gotten Over crowded Prison's corrupted law enforcment official's and politician's . more potent and more readily aval. drugs of all variety's with absolutly no over sight in thier sale , prohibition is the main cause of teenage drug use. as long as it remains illegal the kids will be able to access it on the streetit is time to replace the narcotics officer's w/ drug counslers and doctors and make the cops go after white collar criminals and child molesters. they are way more dangerous than a person smoking pot eating ice cream
Posted by mjg, Thursday, August 27, 2009, 11:10 pm Our government should legalize most drugs that are presently criminalized, not to protect people from drugs since anyone can get whatever drug he wants in any city or town in our nation. No, we refuse to legalize drugs in order to keep police departments busy and productive, sic, and to keep the profit in industries like drug testing labs, scientific drug sensing equipment and yuppy drug dealing. And did I mention the goal in keeping young male blacks from escaping poverty and becoming successful by giving so many criminal records?
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