http://www.publicsquare.net/bbpress/tags/mexico Common Ground, Uncommon Debate en-US Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:17:47 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.1 q http://www.publicsquare.net/bbpress/search.php http://www.publicsquare.net/bbpress/topic/mexico-legalize-drugs#post-18 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:26:08 +0000 admin 18@http://www.publicsquare.net/bbpress/ <p>Mexico's Senate approved a bill recently that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of narcotics for personal use in order to free resources to fight violent drug cartels. </p> <p>It is now legal to carry up to 5 grams marijuana, 500 milligrams of cocaine and small quantities of other drugs. Individuals carrying such drugs will no longer face criminal prosecuton.</p> <p>Drug violence has killed 2,000 people this year across Mexico after 6,3000 deaths in 2008. </p> <p>The bill allows Mexican states to prosecute small-time drug dealers, since drug dealers are rarely convicted in Mexico as federal courts usually have larger cases to deal with. Local judges usually don't interfere due to the danger it puts them in.</p> <p>Question: Will the legalization of small amounts of narcotics be effective in stopping the violence in Mexico and in the United States from drug gangs? </p>