Common sense drug policy in Mexico

If memory serves, this bill, or one similar, was passed with a wide margin a very long time ago by the Mexican legislature but their president wouldn't sign off on it. Whether that's true or imagined, Calderon did sign now and decriminalized possession of "personal use" amounts of drugs.

Anyone caught with drug amounts under the new personal-use limit will be encouraged to seek treatment, and for those caught a third time treatment is mandatory.

The maximum amount of marijuana for "personal use" under the new law is 5 grams — the equivalent of about four joints. The limit is a half gram for cocaine, the equivalent of about 4 "lines." For other drugs, the limits are 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams for methamphetamine and 0.015 milligrams for LSD.

This makes total sense. Mexico's drug problem is with cartels. Some local guy getting high isn't out there killing people to protect his turf. Chasing down small time users just bleeds resources from the real fight.

I have a vague recollection that Bush was still president when they were trying to pass the original bill and the White House sent a strong signal that it violated Bush's international zero tolerance policy. Wondering if those recent meetings with President Obama had anything to do with it being signed now?

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]