Mexico Legalizes Drug Possession

[steven johnson]

Source: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

August 21, 2009
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge.


The law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution; the law goes into effect on Friday.

Anyone caught with drug amounts under the personal-use limit will be encouraged to seek treatment, and for those caught a third time treatment is mandatory - although no penalties for noncompliance are specified.

The maximum amount of marijuana considered to be for "personal use" under the new law is 5 grams - the equivalent of about four marijuana cigarettes. Other limits are half a gram of cocaine, 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams for methamphetamine and 0.015 milligrams of LSD.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/world/americas/21mexico.html

[ccharles000]

1. k/r

[Luminous Animal]

2. Finally. A move towards a rational drug policy. (n/t)

[dotymed]

3. EVEN THOUGH

It's a very small move.In order to take the profits from the
Drug cartels, who are running Mexico,through violence and
murder. They should have legalized (not decriminalized) these
drugs. That way they can be legally sold without cartel
control. That would end their reign of terror.

[redqueen]

45. Excellent point. The black-market profits are the most serious problem.

But this small change does solve some smaller problems, so it's still welcome news for sure.

[John Q. Citizen]

83. Most of the money is in moving weight to the US, not in the local market.

[digidigido]

98. It probably wouldn't. The cartels are becoming like the Mafia in Chicago in the 20's

People don't give up easy money profits easily, just look at the insurance companies on healthcare

[elehhhhna]

123. never. the profits go to people up & down the ladder all along...

the border and even farther.

[tblue37]

145. The way the Mafia got its foothold into America was through illegal alocohol

prostitution When a commodity that always has buyers ends up being driven unerground, it creates a perfect set-up for organized crime to move in and take over.

[liberalmike27]

66. Been sayin' forever

If you want to start to purge the problems in Mexico, you make drugs legal. Bring it up on top of things, and you'll allow more competition, and put some of these killings behind you.

For some reason, it manifests in Mexico more like prohibition did here in the U.S. back in the 20's and early 30's, not to say we don't have tremendous problems, overcrowded prisons, lives destroyed, rather than redirected, and massive expenses to imprison so many people, lawyers, judges, etc.

And finally folks are waking up to the idea that we're sacrificing a massive amount of tax money from taxing it. Even with taxes, were it legal, I'm sure drug users would be able to get it more cheaply. And a small amount of money to provide counseling, and withdrawal services, would be miniscule compared to nearly emptying out our prisons. And just think of all the real criminals, rapists, murderers, kidnappers, robbers, and burglars that we could actually keep in prison for much, much longer, due to relieving overcrowding. It's win, win, win, win...

[Lionel Mandrake]

70. The USA should follow the Mexican example.

Prohibition of drugs works about as well as prohibition of alcohol did.

[elehhhhna]

124. I prefer the Dutch example.

[DutchLiberal]

128. The Dutch drugs approach is a mess.

A lot of people think possession of soft-drugs in The Netherlands is legal, but technically, it's not. It's just condoned, just like 'coffee shops' where marijuana etc. is sold, are condoned. But at the same time, producing the drugs is still considered a crime. That leads to the absurd situation where coffee shops can sell drugs, but they're not allowed to grow it. So how do they get it? Illegally, from the criminal circuit.

It's about time the Dutch government started legalizing it. But instead, in recent years, the government and a large part of the 'Tweede Kamer' ('House of Representatives') are favoring stricter laws against drugs and are advocating the American approach.

[primavera]

138. Are they under the impression that it's worked well for us?

Why would anyone think that the US was an exemplary model to follow?

[saigon68]

148. the American approach

Ya that's successful alright
</sarcasm>

Hundreds of Billions per year to Convict and Lock Up Pot Smokers. Not to mention hiring hundreds of thousands of Long haired, scruffy undercover drug officers, whose sole purpose is to "detect" the smell of a Burning Roach.

LOL

[Lionel Mandrake]

71. The USA should follow the Mexican example.

Prohibition of drugs works about as well as prohibition of alcohol did.

[daninthemoon]

85. Hopefully it will work out well like we all expect, and it will be a test

case that will lead to support here in USA. Good luck and God bless em. Show us how it can work, so we can stop the mess here.

[imdjh]

126. Or a move to increase tourism more likely.

[panzerfaust]

152. It worked in Portugal, where ALL drugs decriminalized in 2001

Prohibition has failed - again - and continued prohibition may take our democracy along with it: The War on Drugs has turned into a war on democratic values.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

... in the five years after personal possession was decriminalized, illegal drug use among teens in Portugal declined and rates of new HIV infections caused by sharing of dirty needles dropped, while the number of people seeking treatment for drug addiction more than doubled.

"Judging by every metric, decriminalization in Portugal has been a resounding success," says Glenn Greenwald, an attorney, author and fluent Portuguese speaker, who conducted the research. "It has enabled the Portuguese government to manage and control the drug problem far better than virtually every other Western country does."

[onehandle]

4. This is obviously just a move to cut down on illegal immigration.

If you're too fucked to move, you stay South of the border.

[Xipe Totec]

19. Or to increase tourism from the US n/t

[wroberts189]

92. bingo... it will bring millions into their economy. nt

[Boku-Wa]

20. If you were trying to be funny it didn't work. It's really a pathetic comment.

Go do your immigrant bashing some place else, ok?

[onehandle]

24. Government bashing, actually.

Theirs and ours.

Wasteoid bashing too, a bit.

I never claimed to be funny.

[Boku-Wa]

64. I didn't get it. I apologize.

[lefthandedlefty]

30. Or maybe it will encourage reverse immigration

Maybe American drug users will move there

[roody]

32. There is a great book---Rain of Gold.

It is a wonderful read. The people in it are starving, but they came north anyway.

[Eagle_Eye]

5. Victim-less crimes are an inefficient use of valuable prison real estate

Prison is for axe murders and war criminals, not somebody burning some weed in a rolled up piece of rice paper.

Now if only the United States would get the message and free the imprisoned pot smokers and use that prison real estate for Cheney and Bush, the world would be a better place.

[AlexDeLarge]

29. And Rummy, MC Rove, Cardie, Yoohoo, Asscroft, ...

And the confiscated property could even pay for their own incarceration. It's a Win Win!

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Bravo

Some sanity from our friends to the south.

[gtar100]

7. Finally, a step in the right direction.

Just look what it takes for right wing minds to wake up from the insanity of their policies - a literal war zone with drug cartels. This is move is hardly enough but at least it's something.

[Veilex]

8. The right will have a field day with this...

Particularly the racist right. They are gonna have all new ammunition to fight immigration and all kinds of massive scare tactics regarding the presence of illegal immigrants. You can expect to hear about "The Mexican Devil" real soon. *sigh*

[DCKit]

35. Hearst Newspapers are going to have a field day. I can see the headlines:

"Mexican Hoodlum, Hopped Up on Drugs, Rapes Fifty White Woman in One Night"

Pretty much what they did to get weed illegalized in the first place.

[Enthusiast]

9. Even Mexico has

more reasonable drug laws than the U.S.

[Loge23]

37. Same thought...

Even Mexico is now passing us in the sanity rankings!

[Enthusiast]

53. And with regard to drug laws

that isn't saying much. How about just one sane politician having the guts to stand up and say "We can fund health care reform by ending this expensive and insane war on drugs."

[wroberts189]

93. after whats been going on at the border its actually quite surprising. nt

[elehhhhna]

125. the cREEPS will call it capitulation and demand we put mucho troops on the border-o, pronto

bank on it.

[Vidar]

10. Bravo Mexico--a worthy departure from the US' insane policy.

[a la izquierda]

11. Good.

I wonder how it works for foreigners living there on visas...

[katkat]

12. Finally some sense.

Goodbye profits on illegal drugs, goodbye, eventually, drug cartels and their violence, although I am sure they will try some other form of criminal activity.

Lately I am beginning to think the U.S. is just plain dumber than many other countries - Europe about healthcare, now Mexico about drugs.

[Uncle Joe]

96. I don't believe we're dumber so much as corrupted by the current ruling

power structure, or paralyzed by the rigidity of the status quo's power of inertia, aka; practicality in an illogical or dysfunctional system.

Too many of those in power, including the corporate media propaganda machine aren't looking out for or representing the American Peoples' best interests; so much as that of the corporate/oligarchs agenda of maintaining the current American 21st century version of the feudal system.

[Soylent Brice]

13. K&R and you know what else...

it's a sad fucking shame that our neighbors to the north and south have to be so more fucking progressive than us.

*sigh*

[sasquuatch55]

59. Our moronic leaders(?) aren't going to have anyone else dictate our policies.

Like single payer healthcare; even though it works so well everyplace else in the world.The Govt. mafia wants the status quo as they continue to rape us and our country. Bone head knuckle draggers!

[Politicub]

14. O noes! It's the fall of mankind!

How unenlightened for the Mexican government to focus on treatment rather than incarceration. Don't they understand funding prisions is good for America, er Mexico!!

/sarcasm

[Wizard777]

26. Momma Biden will tell you. Mankind has to pick it's self up and dust it's self off

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LANwIgpha7k">and let the sunshine in. It's also the dawning of the Age of Aquarius where knowledge will flow like water.

:dunce: :hippie: :smoke:

[heppcatt]

15. Prisons/Law inforcement are a money maker

That's why the laws will not change.

[SammyWinstonJack]

41. Exactly! nt

[Jackpine Radical]

16. Good for them.

Now, if we would only be so wise, the potential payoffs for society are immense, starting with scaling back the number of people we're keeping locked up.

[Robb]

17. Meh.

I mean good for Mexico, but there's a difference between rational policy and not having the resources to do something and calling it policy.

Mexico has significant problems with the crime surrounding drug traffic. This does nothing but codify what's already taking place.

[jamesatemple]

28. If the situation is as you say...

perhaps our Country should "codify what's already taking place". It seems to me that there are times and circumstances when limited resources force rational policy. I don't think that it will be much further in the future when limited oil resources will force worldwide rational national policy.

[RedCappedBandit]

18. A trip to mexico seems to be in order

;)

[unpossibles]

34. "to" or "in"?

:D

[ohio2007]

21. Will Meth labs in the US be able to compete across the border ?

nt

[RadiationTherapy]

22. Yet another 3rd world country that has advanced beyond us.

[WriteDown]

27. Your definition of advancement is odd. nt.

[jamesatemple]

31. I suppose the word "advancement" should be defined by...

...its context in this instance. If the Mexican National policy change in respect to possessing small quantities of drugs leads to less crime, more personal liberty, less incarceration, less drug syndicate profits, and free treatment for drug users, I'd have to make the personal declaration that such policy changes DO constitute a "helluvan" advancement!

[RadiationTherapy]

48. Thank you.

[jamesatemple]

55. You are quite welcome, RT!

I'm fully aware that advocating reasonable and responsible drug policies is sometimes misconstrued as advocating drug usage. I feel, and hope, that WriteDown's post reflected that misconception and doesn't represent a desire for continuing the status quo on the insane drug debacle.

History shows in stark detail the futility of attempting to legislate and enforce laws governing personal morality issues. Two constitutional amendments, one canceling the other, with respect to alcohol usage and the unhappy results of legislation, enforcement, imprisonment, greater drug usage, and billions of wasted tax money on the poorly entitled "war on drugs" should make a strong statement of the insanity of current legislation. It is time for a reasonable reconsideration of drug laws in this Country...an action already taken in other countries.

[ieoeja]

77. History Channel compared two cocaine epidemics in the United States.

Cocaine was a popular drug both early and late in the twentieth century. In the early period, doctors were handing out cocaine like candy. It was cheap. It was legal. There was no violence by sellers or buyers. Bottom line, it was no big deal. It was a fad that ran its course and largely faded away.

In the late period it was illegal and expensive for the buyer. But it was still cheap to make making the cartels so massively wealthy, they can now afford the resources to fight against the govt's of the world, including the United States. Nor are they going to just walk away from all that money.

We all know making it illegal provided criminals an opportunity. But it also provided them both the means and the incentive to continue their operations in the face of massive opposition.

[Warren Stupidity]

102. yeah it seems to include 'rational public policy decisions'

and that, from here in the Republic of Stupid, is indeed seen as quite odd.

[Zhade]

149. It's called "freedom". You should read up on the concept a bit.

NT!

[d_r]

121. Mexico

Mexico is not a third world country.

[Wizard777]

23. Mexico is ready for Full Scale Harm Reduction. We need this here in America.

[Joanne98]

25. WOW! Who saw that coming.

[girl gone mad]

36. They had no choice, imo..

but even I wasn't certain they could get it done this quickly.

The drug wars have been threatening the legitimacy of the government in some places. They will have to go even further eventually. The only other option is a full scale war, which the Mexican government can't afford and would probably lose, even with our support and financial backing.

[SteppingRazor]

38. It's actually not the first time they attempted it.

They tried to pass this law in 2006, but Pres. Fox vetoed it at the last minute after heavy lobbying by the U.S.

[snort]

43. That was lobbying?

I'm guessing it was less pleasant than that.

[SteppingRazor]

57. lobbying, threatening, whatever you want to call it.

;)

[Flaneur]

104. I did.

They tried this in 2006, but then President Fox vetoed it after the US made ominous noises.

This bill actually passed back in May. There was some question whether Calderon would let it move forward, but he did.

Unfortunately, the bill will do nothing to stop the prohibition-related violence.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Bushknew]

51. This is what you'll be on drugs. Legalizing meth & heroin is not a good idea.

[caseymoz]

76. I think they're following the example of Portugal, which did this in 2001

And it has reportedly been a great success:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/03/14/portugal/index.html

How long have we been dancing with the problem of drug abuse? It's time for a different approach and this one is promising.

[Bushknew]

87. We shall see. Clearly, people who don't have good sense will take drugs anyway.

I hope this resolves the corruption in Mexico.

[caseymoz]

129. There are clearly people who are pre-disposed to addiction.

I remember the story of a doctor who struggled with addiction who started looking for things in the medicine cabinet to abuse when she was 9.

Of course there are a lot of other mental illnesses that may be involved with drug abuse, too, but I think even its even being recognized now as "substance abuse disorder."

[Flaneur]

105. The bill legalizes the possession of small amounts of those drugs.

If you think legalizing heroin and meth is not a good idea, let me ask, how is prohibition working for you?

Or more to the point: How is it working for Mexico? More than 12,000 dead since the end of 2006...

[lib2DaBone]

39. I wonder if they will now receive that $100 Million in Free Money from the taxpayers?

..no money for health care... $100 Million to Mexico.. no problem.


http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/11/charles_bowden_on_mexicos_dirty_war

[proteus_lives]

40. "Shrugs"

While I agree that US drug policies need revamping, legalizing coke, meth, acid, heroin? I don't understand how making this things over-the-counter is a good thing.

[redqueen]

46. Does decriminalizing possession of small amounts make them legal to sell OTC?

[Flaneur]

106. No. Drug sales remain prohibited.

In fact, this new law is mainly about "narcomenudeo," or small-scale drug dealing. In addition to the decrim provisions, it allows states and localities to prosecute small-time drug dealing offenses, which had previously been solely a federal matter.

[Webster Green]

56. Harm reduction..

The laws against drugs cause more problems than the actual effects of the drugs.

Everyone should try a little acid once in awhile. Gets the cob-webs out of your synapses. :hippie:

[proteus_lives]

62. Perhaps.

I can see the damage that the drug laws do vs. the effects they have.

"Everyone should try a little acid once in awhile. Gets the cob-webs out of your synapses."

I've smoked a little pot in my time but heavy drugs? No thanks.

[Warren Stupidity]

103. Criminalization has been an abject failure forat least 75 years.

But we should continue?

[diane in sf]

111. don't knock them till you try them

[proteus_lives]

112. Really?

What are the positive sides of coke, heroin, meth and acid?

This should be amusing.

[comrade snarky]

113. Ask some of our fighter pilots

"Following Desert Storm an anonymous survey of deployed fighter pilots was completed. 464 surveys were returned (43%). For Desert Storm: 57% used stimulants at some time (17% routinely, 58% occasionally, 25% only once). Within individual units, usage varied from 3% to 96%, with higher usage in units tasked for sustained combat patrol (CAP) missions. Sixty one percent of those who used stimulants reported them essential to mission accomplishment."

Source:
Performance Maintenance During Continuous Flight Operations: A Guide For Flight Surgeons," NAVMED P-6410, Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, Jan. 1, 2000, p. 11


Drugs are like a tool. A dangerous, bladed high speed tool but a tool nonetheless. I think we do far more damage with the "All drugs are bad" line rather than actually admitting why people take them in the first place.

[proteus_lives]

119. I agree-mostly.

I have to wonder how many pilots walked away with a monkey on their back. Drugs and warfare go back a long way.

"All drugs are bad" is a potentially bad way to think but so is the a totally accepting view. I agree that certain drugs have limited, legitimate uses.

[comrade snarky]

127. I admit, I'm really torn about this one

I've had friends whose lives have been destroyed (I hesitate to say destroyed because there's always hope) by meth. I've always considered myself lucky that it gives me a 3 day hangover otherwise I don't know what would have happened. It's so easy to get addicted and I like the amphetamine boost. Of course I know how dangerous that is. Now...

My main point is that we have to accept the reasons people take mind altering substances. It can be anything from "it makes the sex better" to "I have to finish remodeling the bathroom" or even "It's fun". All are reasons people I know personally have used meth. I don't use much of anything anymore but I do still drink occasionally because I love the taste and have fun with lowered inhibitions.

I'd never want to see heroin or amphetamines legal for sale as a drug store impulse item but I do very much appreciate the direction of the Mexican government.

:Edited for tpyo

[proteus_lives]

144. It is a troublesome issue.

I want our nation's drug policies to change but I've had family members destroyed by meth and coke. I don't have a positive view of most narcotics.

I understand reasons people do drugs (I grew up around it) There must be a middle ground that allows both allowance and prevention to co-exist. Something to think about I guess.

[Bert]

158. Welcome to the club pal

I have had family members killed by alcohol and tobacco, but I am waiting for everyone involved in the production, distribution, advertisement, and 'laws pertaining to' these drugs to be thrown in jail but I dont see it happening anytime soon.

[sonias]

42. Smart move

The war on drugs has been a disaster for the whole world. It only ruined a whole bunch of lives and did nothing to solve any real drug addictions. And the related incarceration costs were tremendous. In these tough economic times more of the world should be moving in this route.

I also think that legalizing the sale and taxing marijuana would be a huge win against the cartels as well.


Sonia

[RaleighNCDUer]

80. If nothing else, it would reduce the number of drug prisoners, thus

reducing the size of the pool of potential cartel recruits. Prison turns minor offenders into hard criminals, and recruits people into criminal gangs.

[D23MIURG23]

44. Thank you Mexico for being a leader in this regard.

We'll be the last country to ever do this, but at least change is coming somewhere.

[bongbong]

47. Pretty huge event

This act by Mexico is much more important than people might think!

It affects the following issues, some of them very heavily:

1) illegal immigration
2) our drug wars
3) gov't control of lives
4) state's rights issues like medicinal dope
5) tax issues (taxes on legal drugs)
6) the issue of Federal legalization here

And MORE that I can't think of now!

This is actually, potentially, as big or bigger than healthcare or any other issue right now. A big, big step by Mexico - but one that was absolutely necessary because of the anarchy and war-like conditions along the border because of drugs.

[ensho]

49. Mexico moves into the realm of the sane - thank you Mexico

after we get health care for all americans, hopefully we can also move into the realm of the sane re: drugs

[slampoet]

50. Wow. That's hardly any marijuana, but it's 20 hits of LSD.

That's quite a bit of acid compared to the other drugs.

You could do 5 grams of weed in a day but I REALLY don't suggest doing 20 hits of acid.


REALLY kids don't try this at home (or even Burning Man)




But who am i kidding, you can't even get LSD most places anymore, it truly has gone out of fashion.

[SCantiGOP]

60. LSD out of fashion?

I thought the same thing, my 24 year old son said he doesn't think there's any to be had, although mushrooms are still popular with the high school crowd. But then I read somewhere a few weeks ago that the feds had busted a guy who they claimed produced up to 70% of all the acid in the US. So it might just be that there is no supply.

[slampoet]

68. Think about it fashion wise.

There are not many raves anymore (in the USA)
The Dead broke up.
So did Fish.
Rainbow Gatherings aren't as popular.
Burning Man doesn't focus on tripping.

and i think the biggest factor.....No one has 8-12 hours to spare where they are out of contact with the world.

To paraphrase one of the many Wayans Brothers,

"You stay high for 8 hours? That's not a buzz. That's a JOB."

[Wizard777]

73. Nah it's actually thousands of years old. It just less of a guarded secret.

So it's more popular than ever before. The Magi have known of this substances for Ions. We call it the Liquid Light of Ethereal Delight among other mystic an cryptic names. There are even Dragon references to it. Like dragons blood. We even know of one Catholic Saint that died of ergotomine poisoning trying to make it. I don't remember his name right off hand. It might be one of the Johns. But the history of LSD goes way back beyond Sandoz. They actually got the recipe from a Witches Book Of Shadow that appears on their manuscript inventory as an "herbalist manuscript." Sorry but the C-I-A didn't pull L-S-D out their A-S-S. Never mind OSI. LSD predates the founding of America.

[sofa king]

156. They hit it several ways.

They busted Pickard and Apperson in 2000, and availability of LSD reputedly dropped off by 95% (according to the DEA). If I recall correctly, LSD, like PCP and crystal meth, was most easily made through the use of a precursor chemical which was once made in industrial quantities. In the late 1970s (I think), the manufacturer of that chemical was forced out of business, but not before a couple of 55-gallon drums of the stuff disappeared.

That was enough precursor material to easily supply worldwide demand until the chemical degraded, but such chemicals tend to have a short shelf life. (The reason why we "knew" Saddam had chemical weapons was because Donald Rumsfeld sold them to him; the reason why inspectors "knew" he didn't have them anymore is because they had a shelf life of about ten years, and by 2003 they were useless.) Even the sophisticated labs relied on the precursor chemical. Now, if one wanted to make LSD, one would have to start at a much earlier and more labor intensive point.

At the same time, the average dose of LSD dropped steadily, which you can see right here in this thread. Owsley made his tabs at 270ug. The stuff from the 80s, best I can tell, was closer to 75-100 ug (which would explain the "four-way," "album cover," "windowpane," and "gooney bird" variants which were supposed to be divided into four pieces). Others here suggest that 35 ug is acceptable, but that falls below the 1 ug per kilogram of body weight standard that most sources seem to stand by as the minimum noticeable dose. The dosage drop could be explained by the degradation of the parent chemicals used in the process. They may be introducing impurities which become problematic in smaller doses. But the more likely explanation is that 150 ug of LSD is too much for kids who want to dance around and party rather than sit on a tree stump for six hours.

The stuff sold as LSD today is probably just as often phenethylamines, such as 2C-I, or psychedelic amphetamines such as DOC. That's a shame, because LSD is actually probably much safer than the new hallucinogens.

I personally quit LSD entirely in the mid-1990s because by then I was already noticing that most of the "LSD" I was taking was quite obviously some sort of amphetamine. It's no fun tripping at 180 heartbeats per minute.

Then again, maybe Owsley Stanley will move to Mexico and start cranking out the good stuff again.

[Wizard777]

63. It might be more than that. I haven't done the math.

But a good hit of LSD that will produce a good trip is usually about 35 micrograms (1/1 millionth of a gram.) A milligram is 1/1,000th of a gram.

To make a microgram. They usually take a glass rod and heat it. They then pull the molten glass until it creates a strand that is the circumference of a human hair. You then dip that strand into pure LSD and allow any excess to run off. You then touch the strand to the paper used for delivery. That is 1 microgram. Repeat that process 35 times. You have one, 35 microgram, hit of LSD.

I also realize this same result is more commonly achieved by suspending pure LSD in an aqueous solution that relies on a parts per million formulation to deliver the standard 35 micrograms dosage in one drop. The above glass rod process just helps you to better understand what or how much a microgram is.

[slampoet]

65. I went by the old standard of one dose = 75 MICROgrams

.015 divided by .000075 = 20

[Wizard777]

74. Okay you're going Owlsley. I'm going Sandoz and Magi.

[sofa king]

89. My math came out different.

I multiplied 0.015 milligrams by 1000 micrograms/milligram, giving 15 micrograms. Then I applied the minimum effective dose standard of 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight to conclude that this amount is enough to produce a minimal effect in someone who weighs only 15 kilograms (33 pounds) or less.

If the actual figure was misreported, however, and the real maximum is 0.15 milligrams, then you have 150 ug, which is about half of a dose in 1968, one and a half doses in 1988, or three to five doses in 2008.

Don't go out and eat five tabs of acid after you read this: the amount varies so much that your friends might wind up needing a straight jacket for you, plus I hear most of it these days is heavily cut with amphetamines in order to mask the low dosage of actual LSD on each hit, so it can be physically and mentally dangerous.

[Wizard777]

101. Technically LSD & Amphetamine is Ecstasy. At least it's the original Ecstasy.

Ecstasy like amphetamine has become some what of a designer molecule. There are many different variations that produce essentially the same effect and many different formulas to create essentially the same molecule.

[Roon]

116. My ex mixed acid and speed once before a concert..

he stripped his clothes off in the moshpit and security hauled him off naked. He got to detox, blew a goose egg in the breathalizer and then grabbed some hospital pants and escaped..I suspect the staff WANTED him to leave and buzzed him out out the door..lol

[AlphaCentauri]

52. Recommending this one for those who need drug rehab

addictions and co-dependency destroy many lives

[Union Yes]

54. I bet 'Mercka is already planning an invasion. Sad, we could learn alot from Mexico.

[skipos]

58. Yeah, it is a real utopia down there

they have the drug cartels totally under control.

I hope their change in policy works, but as far as drug related violence goes, in my opinion they are a helluva lot closer to Colombia in the 80s then they are the US now.

[Unvanguard]

139. ...which is kind of our fault, actually, considering that it's the US market they're trafficking for

and often US-purchased guns they're using.

[timo]

135. u have no clue

we couldnt learn shit from their corrupt corruption, its the biggest clusterfuck you have ever seen, just a shade away from total chaos.....jeeez

[Craftsman]

61. Well that should increase college spring break travel next year.

[timo]

136. this law applys to MEXICANS not touristas

touristas will still be fair game for shake down and pillage should they be found to be in possesion of dope, anybody thinking Mexico is gonna be the new worlds new amsterdam is in for a big stinking surprise, chances are his name is chuy and your gonna be his querida while your in his cell washing his chones!!

[MellowDem]

67. They need to regulate distribution of drugs as well...

if they want anything to change. Just decriminalizing possession won't stop the profit motive that drives the drug cartels. You have to sell it yourself for cheap and monitor it.

[time_has_come]

69. They better boost their scitzophrenia funding

:+

[Flaneur]

108. Oh, give it a fucking break.

[time_has_come]

110. Are you feeling psychotic?

or just lacking a sense of humour?

Weed might improve your perspective and soften your outlook. I can hook you up if you want to try it.

[Flaneur]

115. Neither. Just tired of your trolling.

Thanks for the hook-up offer, though, but I live in Northern California, so it's not really a problem. Funny, even here, I don't see a lot pot-smoking schizophrenics.

[time_has_come]

133. Posting a joke is hardly trolling, unless I'm trolling for humourless types. And yer stuff ain't got

the kick our stuff in Canada packs, eh?

[Zhade]

150. Actually, it does. I've had both -- we have great stuff down here.

NT!

[Fly by night]

114. Or we need to increase our budget for signs directing you to the "Spell Check" bar.

You do seem to have a sense of "humour", whatever that is.

Goes well with your mullet.

[time_has_come]

141. Or wee kan jewst awl trie awnd git awlong and nawt bee sew stoopid

Les trie eet!

[Fly by night]

151. Get a life ...

... moran.

The ability to speak (and spell) with some semblance of coherence and accuracy helps distinguish the DUers from the ass-monkeys here.

Works for me. And you.

Now where's that "ignore" button. Oh yeah, right here.

See ya', bye.

[time_has_come]

153. gorsh, ash munkey? Ignure buton? Yu ish freeking mee uot! s/t

[donco6]

117. Is that a new disease?

Haven't seen that word before.

[time_has_come]

142. yeah, it's new. A close relation to skitzofrewgatrowd - a compulsion to

use transparent sarcasm. A debilitating and embarrassing affliction that cripples far too many and receives too little attention.

[uberllama42]

72. They need to legalize production of these drugs

Legalizing possession in small amounts will reduce strain on their prisons, but if they want to reduce the great bulk of drug-related crime, they need to remove the supply bottleneck. Pressure on the demand side of the equation reduces the price, which discourages criminal syndicates from becoming involved in producing and shipping drugs.

As long as our focus remains on attacking the supply side of the market, drugs will be a lucrative pursuit and criminals will be involved in producing and smuggling drugs. There is too much money to be made if you're at the top of the supply chain. If we let Merck and BristolMyersSquib manufacture and sell cocaine and heroin, their economies of scale would bring prices down and drive most of the drug syndicates out of business.

We could then use the billions allocated for the drug war every year to fund rehab, PSAs, youth programs for inner-city kids, etc. We might even see both the price and the quantity of drugs in this country drop.

[caseymoz]

75. This is really going to help the Mexican tourism industry, I believe.

Though the people coming south from the USA are probably going to become a real nuisance for the Mexicans.

[donco6]

118. You could always get anything there anyway.

At least . . . that's what I've heard. ;-)

[caseymoz]

130. Yes, except Mexican police would love to arrest a gringo,

And Mexican jails are the definition of human misery.

[AlphaCentauri]

134. Many will be sticking their hands through the border fence

asking amigos to give them 4 joins for a dollar

[defendandprotect]

78. Good news . . . the obscene profits which fuel the Drug War are based on criminalization . . .

USA needs to legal marijuana and small amounts of other drugs for personal use --

[winyanstaz]

79. Well this will help their economy a lot....

Too bad our politicians are too stupid to do the same for our economy.
Just the factories it would open up would be a great start. It would mean Jobs, Jobs, and more Jobs...

[Myrina]

81. Wait, 'anyone caught ... under the limit ... encouraged to seek treatment..."

That doesn't make sense.
If its under the limit and one has it for personal and recreational/therapeutic use, they shouldn't be referred for 'treatment'.

Thats like saying anyone caught with 3 or 4 beers of a six-pack in their house more than a couple times will be referred to AA.

:shrug:

[deep1]

82. Mexico's new policy...........

is a very intelligent move. In America, so many people are locked up for possession of drugs. That is one reason the prison populations are overcrowded animal houses. I am surprised at Mexico for changing this law---Calderon seems to be a very effective president, much more than his Bush ass licking predecessor, Fox.

[sofa king]

84. I'll be watching this story with interest.

A quick bit of math (not my strong suit) suggests that 0.015 mg of LSD equals 15 ug, which is enough to reach the 1 ug per kilogram body weight minimum dosage only for a person weighing about 33 pounds. So the only people not getting busted for LSD will be the ones who got ripped off.

But otherwise, I think this is going to be an interesting test of the theory that recreational drug abuse can be better controlled by treating it as a health issue, rather than a law enforcement issue.

[Gman]

86. Tourist dollars... they're going after tourist dollars

their oil exports are crashing and they need cash muy pronto. Tourists from all over the world will bring millions.

[Fearless]

88. Regardless of if this is a move towards a "More rational drug policy"...

It was most certainly done because the Mexican government is losing power against the drug cartels. They are trying to release pressure and gain support back from the public... This could get interesting in the next five to ten years. If conflict does break out there will be a lot of dead people, which is always sad.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

90. kept looking for the Onion logo, until it hit me how mature and civilized

Mexico seems in comparison to its northern nay-bores.

[tomm2thumbs]

91. the experiment begins

[wroberts189]

97. ..it does indeed and it will be interesting. :) nt

[AsahinaKimi]

94. does anyone think...

This will cause more Americans to want to Cross into Mexico now? The traffic across the border should increase substantially

[kitty1]

122. Tijuana's population is about to explode soon n/t

[wroberts189]

95. In an unexpected move Mexico has become whats being called "New Amsterdam"

Tourism has skyrocketed and Mexican authorities are patting themselves on the back for a policy the has invigorated the local economies which are now enjoying watching Americans rediscover Mexico.


/fake news from the future

[timo]

137. not a chance

touristas will still get screwed if they are caught with drugs, unless you have ever actually been to the REAL Mexico not the mtv spring break version, you just wouldnt understand, fuck up and your a walking atm machine to the judiciales,transitos,federales,aduannas or soldados!!

[windoe]

99. Happy.

Dance. Going on inside right now. Trying to restrain myself.

:bounce: Oops.

[samsingh]

100. this is good.

[Joey Liberal]

107. Good for Mexico! The GOP will want to invade them... nt

[Romulox]

109. If we can't control the Southern Border, how will we control what's in the pockets of immigrants?

Drugs Warriors del Norte must be trembling in their boots at the moment.

[kitty1]

120. The escalation of violence over the drug trade was too much....

to deal with and way out of control. They must have figured that this action was the better of the 2 evils. Criminal activity from the drug trade should be dramatically reduced which is what they're hoping I guess.

[TommyPaine]

131. And the U.S. follows suit...in the year 2374

Though that may be a bit generous. And the U.S. may no longer exist by then anyway. :shrug:

[notesdev]

132. Mexico: Now officially more free than the United States nt

[Harry Pierce]

140. Well the real reason for this

is because the prisons are spilling over even though privitazation is in the works, but that won't be for another seven years at least and there simply is not enough law enforcement to go around to bust the "narcomenuistas" (small time street drug dealers). I think it's a big mistake as far at the meth is concerned, already there is a horrible problem with meth in the ejidos and very poor neighborhoods with kids getting strung out.

Treatment centers? Please, what treatment centers? There ain't no Betty Ford centers in Mexico, unless you are uber wealthy.

As far as legalization goes, forget it. If the US legalized even just the marijuana, the total economy of Mexico would collapse. What you would have then are not just hundreds, but hundreds of thousands of heavily armed people with no income, pissed off.

Eventually marijuana could be legalized, IF the US and Mexico do some serious investing in decent jobs for the people of Mexico, but that isn't going to happen for awhile. Or at least renogitiate NAFTA with serious human and environmental rights provisions.

Ah, too late, the Chinese and Japanese are already pouring billions into Mexico for more slave labor camps and maquiladoras - and that has been going on for over a decade, while Bush had his thumb up his ass.

[beyurslf]

143. Grea idea but not sure about meth.

It is a dangerous drug whose manufacture is also dangerous.

[steven johnson]

146. We shouldn't fill our prisons & jails with minor drug offenders

[Harry Pierce]

147. No we should not

we should provide educational and treatment programs, but really, we don't. And don't kid yourself, hardly any small time offenders in Mexico are imprisoned, infact, hardly never.

And this is a huge problem in Mexico, there are no sophisticated drug educational programs for the kids (who are supposed to be the future - but if they are brain dead how can they be? I suppose they will be more easily controlled in this state of stupor), which is just one of the reasons I think this is a bad idea.

There is no regulation on who you buy the dope from, so inotherwords, organized crime which Mexico is fighting and which you and I are paying into with our tax dollars to support this fight are receiving a mixed message - keep selling the dope. Not only are they receiving a mixed message, but the Army is receiving a mixed message.

But I suppose if you believe that the Mexican government caters to one cartel and eventually the Army's role will be to guard and protect the drug routes, then it all makes sense. And all of these 11,000 plus deaths will be meaningless, for nothing. And all of our tax dollars will have simply militarized a very nasty monstor next door.

[defendandprotect]

155. Agree --

[defendandprotect]

154. Another "kick" in hope of inspiring US politicians . . . enough Drug War violence -- !!!

Too much corruption of government, corruption of police enforcement!

[JonQ]

157. I imagine this was largely under pressure from drug dealers

that seem to be running the government in mexico these days.

Oh well, a good move either way.

Now we need to copy their drug laws, and they can adopt our gun laws and things will get better.