Hot Topic (8/21): Mexico decriminalizes pot, cocaine, heroin . . . should the U.S. do the same?

[Cafe GroupAdmin]

 From SFGate.com:

(08-20) 04:00 PDT Mexico City - --

Mexico has enacted a controversial law that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin.

The law, enacted Thursday, defines "personal use" amounts for those drugs, as well as LSD and methamphetamines.

It says anyone caught with personal-use quantities of drugs will not be prosecuted but will be urged to seek treatment for dependency. It takes effect today.

People caught with those amounts a third time will be required to complete treatment programs.

In 2006, the U.S. government criticized a similar bill. Then-President Vicente Fox asked the Mexican Congress to reconsider.

* * *

What do you think?

Should the U.S. decriminalize "personal use" amounts of drugs like meth, LSD, heroin, pot and cocaine?

What effect would that have on our citizens and society?

[momandvet]

Yes, drug addiction is a mental health issue not a crime.  It would save the country billions upon billions of dollars.  It would reduce the number of prisoners, saving money and reducing crime.  Many non-violent offenders go to jail and end up becoming hardened criminals.

They should legalize pot, because it is safer than alchohol.  It is the smarter choice.  We need to stop locking people up for being smater than their peers, who drink themselves to death.  It would be like punishing your child for eating his vegetables.  It is also a powerful medicine that could seriously hit the pharmecutical companies in the belt.  It treats a variety of ailments without any of the nasty side affects of synthetic medicine.  It is a bronchial dialater so bye bye costly ashma treatments.  Its an anti-anxiety medicine so bye bye benzo's.  Pain releiver adios addicting life-shattering opiates and the painful withdrawals.  Anti-physcotic and anti-deppressent so see ya later prozac.  Gurd, IBS, anti-convulsant ect.  Oh yea and it reduces cancer cells.   Really, you would be dumb not to use it, instead of as a last resort if nothing else works (assuming it doesn't kill you first.) 

[IhartU]

Nope. Add alcohol to the list while their at it though. 

[MissBearNMonkey]

Finally!

Legalize it, regulate it, tax it. 

Prohibition is a failure. It's not up to the government to control personal vices. The War on Drugs is a lesson in futility and has cost us lives and money we can no longer afford. 

Marijuana should not be included in the same category as manufactured, highly addictive, dangerous substances.

No one has ever overdosed on pot.

How can you tell a driver is stoned? He's sits at the stop  sign waiting for it to turn green. I don't advocate driving while impaired, not by a long shot, but if I had to choose I'd rather deal with the gridlock caused by someone stoned driving 20 miles below the speed limit than by an accident caused a mother who had been drinking vodka and just killed herself and seven others.

[athenax3]

To be honest, I'm a bit conflicted, while I am all for the legalization of pot (what's a pothead do but eat brownies anyway?) the legalization of harder drugs at first glance would concern me- it may be a double standard on my part or perhaps hypocritical, but it's how I feel. On the other hand the government and state resources we use chasing down drug addicts, dealers, etc. could be refocused on the more serious crimes, especially now that many police departments have had to cut back on their force and staff- the ability to focus those limited resources on other things sounds very tempting.

I think I'll have to think about this one more....

[lori232]

Amen

Quoting MissBearNMonkey:

Finally!

Legalize it, regulate it, tax it. 

Prohibition is a failure. It's not up to the government to control personal vices. The War on Drugs is a lesson in futility and has cost us lives and money we can no longer afford. 

Marijuana should not be included in the same category as manufactured, highly addictive, dangerous substances.

No one has ever overdosed on pot.

How can you tell a driver is stoned? He's sits at the stop  sign waiting for it to turn green. I don't advocate driving while impaired, not by a long shot, but if I had to choose I'd rather deal with the gridlock caused by someone stoned driving 20 miles below the speed limit than by an accident caused a mother who had been drinking vodka and just killed herself and seven others.

[Blueroses_78]

Ah! Something we agree on! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Quoting MissBearNMonkey:

Finally!

Legalize it, regulate it, tax it. 

Prohibition is a failure. It's not up to the government to control personal vices. The War on Drugs is a lesson in futility and has cost us lives and money we can no longer afford. 

Marijuana should not be included in the same category as manufactured, highly addictive, dangerous substances.

No one has ever overdosed on pot.

How can you tell a driver is stoned? He's sits at the stop  sign waiting for it to turn green. I don't advocate driving while impaired, not by a long shot, but if I had to choose I'd rather deal with the gridlock caused by someone stoned driving 20 miles below the speed limit than by an accident caused a mother who had been drinking vodka and just killed herself and seven others.

[MissBearNMonkey]

LOL. Isn't it nice? Legalization seems break down the partisan animosity we have in this country, doesn't it? It's almost like we can all agree that what this country needs is a fattie and a fabulous meal.

Quoting Blueroses_78:

Ah! Something we agree on! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Quoting MissBearNMonkey:

Finally!

Legalize it, regulate it, tax it. 

Prohibition is a failure. It's not up to the government to control personal vices. The War on Drugs is a lesson in futility and has cost us lives and money we can no longer afford. 

Marijuana should not be included in the same category as manufactured, highly addictive, dangerous substances.

No one has ever overdosed on pot.

How can you tell a driver is stoned? He's sits at the stop  sign waiting for it to turn green. I don't advocate driving while impaired, not by a long shot, but if I had to choose I'd rather deal with the gridlock caused by someone stoned driving 20 miles below the speed limit than by an accident caused a mother who had been drinking vodka and just killed herself and seven others.

 

[Blueroses_78]

Sounds like a plan to me! But I have to wait until after March...I'm due in early March. *lol* It would certainly help with post partum depression!

Quoting MissBearNMonkey:

LOL. Isn't it nice? Legalization seems break down the partisan animosity we have in this country, doesn't it? It's almost like we can all agree that what this country needs is a fattie and a fabulous meal.

Quoting Blueroses_78:

Ah! Something we agree on! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Quoting MissBearNMonkey:

Finally!

Legalize it, regulate it, tax it. 

Prohibition is a failure. It's not up to the government to control personal vices. The War on Drugs is a lesson in futility and has cost us lives and money we can no longer afford. 

Marijuana should not be included in the same category as manufactured, highly addictive, dangerous substances.

No one has ever overdosed on pot.

How can you tell a driver is stoned? He's sits at the stop  sign waiting for it to turn green. I don't advocate driving while impaired, not by a long shot, but if I had to choose I'd rather deal with the gridlock caused by someone stoned driving 20 miles below the speed limit than by an accident caused a mother who had been drinking vodka and just killed herself and seven others.

[Imsupermom2]

This is absurd to me...Taking pot out of the equation because well...it needs to be however I can't even imagine someone driving down the road on LSD...Seeing red lights in abundance--coke heads doing a line while they drive or the accidents in the work place...That's stupid to say the least. This has nothing to do with the person, its about who they will hurt or kill in the wake of their speed trip or their LSD trip, barking at the moon from someone elses roof top.

[MissBearNMonkey]

I'm pretty sure DUI laws will remain unchanged and LSD isn't suddenly going to become widely used because it's become legal. Are you going to start tripping if it does? Come on...that argument is silly.

Quoting Imsupermom2:

This is absurd to me...Taking pot out of the equation because well...it needs to be however I can't even imagine someone driving down the road on LSD...Seeing red lights in abundance--coke heads doing a line while they drive or the accidents in the work place...That's stupid to say the least. This has nothing to do with the person, its about who they will hurt or kill in the wake of their speed trip or their LSD trip, barking at the moon from someone elses roof top.