6:27 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Argentina| Colombia| Drugs| Latin America| Politics| Violence| crime| mexico| military
28 Aug 2009
Two Latin American countries recently have made moves to decriminalize the possession of certain drugs for personal use, a move that some are touting as a positive new direction in the “war on drugs”.
Argentina’s Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that it is unconstitutional to prosecute cases involving personal marijuana use as long as it does not harm others. It did not, however, set a weight limit for what it considers personal use.
The judges’ decision urges the Argentine government to “create policies against illegal drug trafficking and adopt preventive health measures, with information and education against drug consumption directed at the most vulnerable groups.
And in Mexico:
Under the new law, a police search that turns up a half-gram of cocaine, the equivalent of about four lines, will not bring any jail time. The same applies for 5 grams of marijuana (about four cigarettes), 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams of methamphetamine or 0.015 milligrams of LSD.
According to those inside and outside of Mexico specifically, the “regulation” (please don’t call it decriminalization), will help the country focus it’s efforts on the narcos. What we have seen in Mexico however, that targeting the cartels, who help to feed U.S. demand where personal possession of drugs has not been decriminalized, also has created human rights abuses on people at the hands of the Mexican armed forces, abuses that in some way are funded by the U.S. via the Merida Initiative.
Looking at Colombia, and the increased influence of the U.S. military there via Plan Colombia and other anti-drug measures, we see that the violence against civilian communities continues and get more gruesome by the day. From CNN:
Twelve Awa Indians, including five children and a newborn, were found dead Wednesday about 50 miles from the city of Tumaco, in the state of Narino, near Colombia’s border with Ecuador, President Alvaro Uribe said in a statement.
It’s too easy to blame the violence on lefist organizations or drug lords, when U.S. dollars are putting more weapons, military power and training in both Mexico and Colombia. Yes, decriminalization on one side of the border of personal drug use is a good thing, pero that is not going to end the violence on either side of the border.
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2 Responses to Is Decriminalization Enough to Stop the “War on Drugs” Violence in Latin America?
Bill Harris
August 29th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Debaters debate the two wars as if Nixon’s civil war on Woodstock Nation didn’t yet run amok. One needn’t travel to China to find indigenous cultures lacking human rights or to Cuba for political prisoners. America leads the world in percentile behind bars, thanks to ongoing persecution of hippies, radicals, and non-whites under banner of the war on drugs. If we’re all about spreading liberty abroad, then why mix the message at home? Peace on the home front would enhance credibility.
The drug czar’s Rx for prison fodder costs dearly, as lives are flushed down expensive tubes. My shaman’s second opinion is that psychoactive plants are God’s gift. In God’s eyes, it’s all good (Gen.1:12). The administration claims it wants to reduce demand for cartel product, but extraditing Canadian seed vendor Marc Emery increases demand. Mr. Emery enables American farmers to steal cartel customers with superior domestic product.
The constitutionality of the CSA (Controlled Substances Act of 1970) derives from an interstate commerce clause. This clause is invoked to finance organized crime, endanger homeland security, and throw good money after bad. Official policy is to eradicate, not tax, the number-one cash crop in the land. America rejected prohibition, but it’s back. Apparently, SWAT teams don’t need no stinking amendment.
Nixon promised the Schafer Commission would support the criminalization of his enemies, but it didn’t. No matter, the witch-hunt was on. No amendments can assure due process under an anti-science law without due process itself. Psychology hailed the breakthrough potential of LSD, until the CSA halted all research. Marijuana has no medical use, period.
The RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993) allows Native American Church members to eat peyote, which functions like LSD. Americans shouldn’t need a specific church membership to obtain their birthright freedom of religion. Denial of entheogen sacrament to any American, for mediation of communion with his or her maker, precludes free exercise of religious liberty.
Freedom of speech presupposes freedom of thought. The Constitution doesn’t enumerate any governmental power to embargo diverse states of mind. How and when did government usurp this power to coerce conformity? The Mayflower sailed to escape coerced conformity. Legislators who would limit cognitive liberty lack jurisdiction.
Common-law must hold that adults own their bodies. The Founding Fathers decreed that the right to the pursuit of happiness is inalienable. Socrates said to know your self. Lawmakers should not presume to thwart the intelligent design that molecular keys unlock spiritual doors. Persons who appreciate their own free choice of path in life should tolerate seekers’ self-exploration.
Simple majorities in each house could repeal the CSA. The books have ample law on them without the CSA. The usual caveats remain in effect. You are liable for damages when you screw up. Strong medicine requires prescription. Employees can be fired for poor job performance. No harm, no foul; and no excuse, either. Replace the war on drugs with a frugal, constitutional, science-based drugs policy.
OscarC
August 31st, 2009 at 11:41 am
It is unfortunate that marijuana prohibition was a complete lie from the begining. In the 1930’s it was used as a means to jail or deport Mexicans, who worked for lower wages. Prohibitionists would say that the “loco” weed made a mexican man crazy, lazy and violent which would harm white women and poison their children by selling the devil’s weed. Now these laws disproportionately put latin and black people into jails for drug possessions than their white counterparts. This is our opportunity to put our money where our mouth is. Join us in California by donating or volunteering for the California Cannabis Initiative who is working hard at bringing us the Tax, Regulate, and Control Cannabis Act of 2010 to the ballot box. Lets end this needless war that has drained our local, state and federal treasuries and has destroyed more families and lives than any drug itself could have ever done.
To join or help the fight go to http://www.californiacannabisinitiative.org
Oscar Chavez
California Cannabis Initiative
San Bernardino County Coordinator