According to Newsroom; Possessing marijuana, cocaine and even heroin will no longer be a crime in Mexico if they are in small amounts for personal use, under new reforms passed by Congress that quickly drew US criticism.
Way to go, Mexico.
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6 comments:
I think it's sad that society has to argue for legalisation of drugs because so many people are using them.
I'm going to be really uncool and argue against decriminalisation of cannabis. See me as a stick-in-the-mud, if you want.
I know the arguements for, and I agree many people use cannabis with little or no harmful effects to society or themselves but around 5% of teenagers are heavy users, higher probably in Northland and South Auckland.
Heavy use causes antisocial behaviour such as stealing, lying, truacy. I know they maybe like this anyway but I would argue the drug makes the problems worse and more difficult to deal with.
A bunch disrespectful louts let them go to hell, there's always going to be there kind? I don't agree, your giving them a ticket and encouraging them on their way. Worse still what about these kids parents. Who are they going to turn to when their kids become layabouts. They won't be able to dob the dealer into the cops, it will be legal. What are their kids going to say, 'hey mom, chill, it's legal.'
You ask any cop how many crimes are committed by people with a history of drug use.
It's funny that recently their has just been an article about the increase of crime in Northland, the appalling behaviour of school kids, and plus, yes, high cannabis use. Growing and supplying cannabis isn't curbed in Northland as much as it could be. It so prevalent it's seen as part of the economy, I'm going to go out on a lim here and high cannabis use equal social problems.
I know, it's already here, so why fight it, but not enough is being done to eradicate suppliers of cannabis. Don't give small users a recorded conviction but find them guilty, and educate on the effects of drug on society. New Zealand is one of the countries with the least corrupt officals, we should hang the dealers out to dry while we can.
Anyway if cannabis is decriminalised will there be an age restriction because if there is then dealers will still have the same market to sell to teenagers who are one of the higher user groups.
I don't buy this decriminalising in small doses, some people get addicted are you going to punish them then when they become heavy users.
Gloria
"I know, it's already here, so why fight it, but not enough is being done to eradicate suppliers of cannabis."
Thanks for your comment Gloria. I don't see decriminalisation as giving in at all. I see retaining the status quo as giving in because what we're doing now ISN'T working. We will never eradicate drug use but maybe there is a better way to approach it.
Maybe it isn't working in that it isn't totally eradicating drugs, and as your right you will never totally eradicate drugs. However, at least the police are arresting some of growers/dealers and sentencing them to prison. There should always be the threat of jail for people who try to make money from drugs.
There is no evidence to show that decriminalising cannabis won't increase the amount consumed and when you look at what happened when the age restriction was lowered on alcohol in NZ it's not encouraging.
Gloria
Netherlands who decriminalised cannabis in the 1970s have reported the largest esctasy seizures in the world. The number of XTC and amphetamine (speed)users has doubled between 1997 to 2001 as has the number of cocaine users.
Only half of the cannabis consumed is sold legally. In the circles of producers and traders, exports of cannabis produced in the Netherlands is estimated to account for 80%.
As far as I understand it the value of Dutch cannabis trade is $770 million euro.
Personally I find these figures scary.
Gloira
PS. Thanks for posting my comments
As you brought up alcohol, what should we do about that? If we made alcohol illegal for everybody we would have all the associated crime we have with drugs. There is alcohol use, abuse and addiction. only the second two cause social problems, and the same can be said of drugs. Treating abuse and addiction problems would cost less than criminalising them, which involves the costs of law enforcement, prosecution, and imprisonment. It costs far less to maintain somebody on a methadone programme than to have that person out of work and committing crime. So we need to deal with the existing problems and work on preventing up and coming ones. The only way we will progress is through individual responsibility. I know that is trite, bland and broad but it is unavoidable.
Actually I don't see how decriminalising will remove the worst problems from drug abuse - only legalising it will eliminate dealers and replace them with government drug pushers - taxed and poor quality drugs will be the norm then, unless people can grow their own. The people who are most against decriminalisation/legalisation are the dealers and growers....
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