It appears that the Mexican government has decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana and other drugs such as LSD, heroin and amphetamine.
I have long believed that any laws which function to dictate what a person chooses to do with his or her own body are unconstitutional on their face and contrary to the principles of freedom and justice. I applaud Mexico for taking this brave stance on civil rights, against extreme pressure from the US government. It is high time we start treating drug addiction as a disease, not as a crime.
The legalization of drugs would prevent our civil liberties from being threatened any further, it would reduce crime rates, reverse the potency effect, improve the quality of life in the inner cities, prevent the spread of disease, save the taxpayer money, and generally benefit both individuals and the community as a whole. Our arguments are based on a basic appreciation of the benefits provided by voluntary exchange and the role markets play in coordinating human activities. Legalizing drugs would eliminate many inconsistencies, guarantee freedoms, and increase the effectiveness of the government's anti-drug beliefs. The present war on drugs has not and will not produce a decisive victory. We advocate a new approach to this important social problem.
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