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One Way To Stop the Invasion Across Our Southern Border
Mexico's Senate votes to decriminalize possession of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin in personal-use quantities. Details:
Under the bill, it would be legal to have 25 milligrams of heroin, a fifth of an ounce of marijuana or half a gram of cocaine. The bill also makes it legal to possess small amounts of LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, amphetamines and peyote.
President Vicente Fox had proposed the law in January 2004 in the hopes of slowing down the rapid growth in drug addiction and the ranks of small-time dealers that has hit Mexican cities and towns in recent years, just as it has long plagued American cities.
Both houses of the Mexican Congress passed it in a last-minute flurry of legislation as their session drew to a close. The final version of the bill passed the Senate by a vote of 53 to 26 during an all-night session that ended Friday morning. After its final approval, the president's spokesman, Ruben Aguilar, said Mr. Fox would sign it into law.
U.S. reactions: Unnamed U.S. diplomat calls the move unhelpful, and impressively named State Department spokeswoman Janelle Hironimus babbles boilerplate. San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders says it's "just plain dumb." Los Angeles NORML director Bruce Margolin says the quantities are too small.
Thanks to Ryan Posly and Dan Playstead.
|4.29.06 @ 3:25AM|#
That news is so yesterday:
In related news, Mexico legalizes drugs for personal use:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,193616,00.html
Comment by: bobo at April 28, 2006 07:51 PM
|4.29.06 @ 3:30AM|#
Great, one more thing that college students can experience in the cultural showpiece that is Tijuana.
|4.29.06 @ 4:57AM|#
I think of those Cubans that Ive dealt with and the Cubans
that I worked with in the embassy and I still get information from
the families and whatnot of the prisoners I visited
there.
That is seriously priceless. She reminds me of every UCSB girl I
ever knew.
|4.29.06 @ 4:57AM|#
I think of those Cubans that Ive dealt with and the Cubans
that I worked with in the embassy and I still get information from
the families and whatnot of the prisoners I visited
there.
That is seriously priceless. She reminds me of every UCSB girl I
ever knew.
Stephen Macklin|4.29.06 @ 7:43AM|#
Stop the flow of illegal immigration? I think this could potentially reverse the flow?
|4.29.06 @ 7:46AM|#
"The United States and Mexico have a strong history of
counternarcotics cooperation..."
Then THAT is extra-seriously priceless.
|4.29.06 @ 7:58AM|#
Look, people, culture matters. Let's think about the
consequences of admitting millions of Mexicans into our country and
letting them work toward citizenship. What sort of country do you
think this will become if we just let them in? What sort of
attitudes do you think they'll bring with them?
Why, some of them might actually come here supporting liberal drug
policy! We can't have that! Chaos!
|4.29.06 @ 9:02AM|#
Janelle H is hot.
Ehh ... give her ten years, she'll have Groucho Marx eyebrows like
Janeane Garofalo.
Warren|4.29.06 @ 9:31AM|#
Just something for the tourists. It's not like they're creating
a, taxed and regulated, legal market. Most likely, the criminal
activity this will encourage will cause them to repeal it within a
year, providing a big "I told you so" moment for the drug
warriors.
I wonder how strong this move actually is connected to immigration.
"We're going to send people or drugs across your boarders. You
pick."
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 11:22AM|#
Stop the flow of illegal immigration? I think this could
potentially reverse the flow?
Temporary visas and work visas for US Students to Mexico will
increase exponentially.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 11:24AM|#
"We have to question Mexico's commitment to the war on
Drugs," said Sanders, the former chief of police in San
Diego.
Best. Quote. Ever.
|4.29.06 @ 11:30AM|#
I'm still puzzled why every thread that somehow involves a woman in politics devolves into a discussion of her attractiveness.
|4.29.06 @ 11:39AM|#
"I'm still puzzled why every thread that somehow involves a
woman in politics devolves into a discussion of her
attractiveness."
It's not just women in politics, AC.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 11:50AM|#
I'm still puzzled why every thread that somehow involves a
woman in politics evolves into a discussion of her
attractiveness.
FYP
|4.29.06 @ 11:51AM|#
Los Angeles NORML director Bruce Margolin says the
quantities are too small.
I'm surprised noone has beaded in this little chestnut. What a
jackass.
No, "wow, what a great start," or "thank God someone's starting to
see the light," or "maybe we can start putting some observable
facts behind the whole legalizing/criminalizing drugs
debate."
None of that. Just a prunefaced, asinine comment about it not being
enough.
No wonder NORML's efforts have not only NOT gained any traction but
have actually moved backward over the past 35 years as the
Marijuan Policy Project has actually managed to accomplish a few
things.
What a dick. Maybe pot really does make (some people anyway)
stupid.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 11:52AM|#
A dumpy Lisa Loeb doesn't sound so bad - she'd be
attainable.
You win on points.
|4.29.06 @ 11:54AM|#
I apologize for my failure to read the article containing Margolin's comments. And I can't even blame pot for my erroneous posting.
|4.29.06 @ 11:55AM|#
"I'm still puzzled why every thread that somehow involves a
woman in politics devolves into a discussion of her
attractiveness."
It's not just women in politics, AC.
Hermaphrodites too? Because I'm hard-pressed to recall a time when
the commentary went directly to a man's attractiveness unless he
had something seriously weird about his facial features.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 11:56AM|#
And to show the results, a college-aged friend of the family just told me that he and two friends are headed to Mexico on Monday, after classes finish.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 11:57AM|#
I apologize for my failure to read the article containing
Margolin's comments. And I can't even blame pot for my erroneous
posting.
Damn! Before I could even flame you...
|4.29.06 @ 12:35PM|#
No, Shem, it's women in politics, women in the media, women driving buses, serving coffee, making business decisions, running, jumping, skipping...do you see a pattern here?
|4.29.06 @ 12:36PM|#
"We have to question Mexico's commitment to the war on
Drugs," said Sanders, the former chief of police in San
Diego.
War on Drugs == Sparkle Motion?
The article really trickled out the names of the drugs you're
allowed to have now. First they said only pot, cocaine, and heroin,
then I read Ecstasy too, ten opium, and then I see LSD, shrooms,
speed and peyote are all ok too? Wow.
Bravo, Mexico. This is just a brilliant move on their part; it'll
increase tourism by a whole hell of a lot just by legalizing things
(IMO) that shouldn't even have been illegal in the first place.
Though they're doing it for completely wrong reasons (they want to
focus on "the real criminals"), the results are the same, and those
results are a step in the right direction.
|4.29.06 @ 1:03PM|#
One more thing: 5 grams is a lot for personal use. It might be a pain to keep it down to that amount in your home (and to have to buy in such small amounts), but you're not going to smoke that much in a night, or even two (especially if all of your stoner buddies are also allowed 5 grams each). The NORML director is probably just trying to keep the ball rolling in the right direction.
|4.29.06 @ 1:18PM|#
I was agreeing with you sage. I (mis)read your response as an attempt to establish some sort of equavalency between men's treatment in politics and women's.
|4.29.06 @ 1:31PM|#
San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders says it's "just plain
dumb."
Gosh, with well reasoned rebuttals like that it's a wonder the rest
of the world doesn't just surrender before the staggering weight of
U.S. intellect.
While any move in the right direction is to be cheered, and it's
great not to put users in jail, it would seem to me that this
doesn't address the crime issue. The gangs, cartels and associated
violence isn't going to go away unless *dealing*, and not just
consumption, are legal.
I'm unclear, would it be legal to grow a plant for personal
use?
James Anderson Merritt|4.29.06 @ 1:34PM|#
Madpad said, "No, 'wow, what a great start,' or 'thank God
someone's starting to see the light,' or 'maybe we can start
putting some observable facts behind the whole
legalizing/criminalizing drugs debate.'
"None of that. Just a prunefaced, asinine comment about it not
being enough.
"No wonder NORML's efforts have not only NOT gained any traction
but have actually moved backward over the past 35 years as the
Marijuan Policy Project has actually managed to accomplish a few
things.
"What a dick. Maybe pot really does make (some people anyway)
stupid."
Then, madpad said, "I apologize for my failure to read the article
containing Margolin's comments. And I can't even blame pot for my
erroneous posting."
Here is the actual quote from the linked article:
=====
Bruce Margolin, Los Angeles director of the National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, applauded the Mexican vote but
said the permissible amount for marijuana � 5 grams � was well
below what recreational users would typically keep on hand.
"It's the only rational way to deal with drug abuse problems,"
Margolin said. "This is a great effort to making our world a safer
place."
=====
The reason I am laying this all out is because madpad's pattern of
comment so resembles the usual run of commentary here about the
Libertarian Party. Somebody characterizes an LP position or
candidate incorrectly or uncharitably, often basing remarks on
other hearsay, and then that critic or another goes on to say how
this only illustrates why the LP is a failure, has always been a
failure, and will always be a failure. Rarely does anyone in this
scenario actually dig up real, verifiable facts or statements. If
they do, they even more rarely apologize.
So I would like to thank madpad for being self-correcting and
honorable enough to apologize for shooting first and asking
questions later. In this, madpad demonstrates higher qualification
for the Presidency than the White House's current occupant. If
madpad gets to the point of asking questions and then shooting as
necessary, I might even vote for this candidate!
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 2:06PM|#
making business decisions, running, jumping,
skipping.
Do you have videos?
|4.29.06 @ 2:34PM|#
Thank you for your thank you, Mr. Merritt. I have learned- from
my postings on this site, of all places - how to be better at
understanding and arguing a point well.
I have also learned how to be less "attack prone," to dig up my
facts and (usually) to RTFA.
That I skipped those very steps this morning was (hopefully) an
increasing rarity (is that an oxymoron?).
I, alas, can't blame wacky tabaccee for my failing. But I
can blame last night's martini's. Had a little hangaround,
donchaknow.
|4.29.06 @ 3:24PM|#
I wonder how this will work with LSD. You can have up to half a milligram on you?
|4.29.06 @ 4:02PM|#
Maybe this is what it will take to get the feds to protect the borders. Apparently it doesn't concern many politicians that illegals wander over and reduce wages for workers who already earn very little. It also doesn't seem to bother them that the illegals are able to buy up much of the entry-level housing in many areas, making life a bit rougher for young,lower income, and legal immigrant families. And there doesn't seem to be enough concern that people able to freely enter without examination might be carrying weapons to be used against us - poison, radioactive materials, bombs, etc. But now that those same people might be carrying 5 grams of doobage or one half gram of cola, whoa look out, we'll probably have half the army on the border!
|4.29.06 @ 4:39PM|#
"You can have up to half a milligram on you?"
That's one big ass dose.
And a comment about NORML's position. I think they may be
disappointed in the amounts because anything more than that will
nail you as a dealer. Six grams is (especially mexican) is not a
lot of pot to go to jail for.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 7:49PM|#
I wonder how this will work with LSD. You can have up to
half a milligram on you?
That's like, what, 100,000 tabs?
|4.29.06 @ 8:10PM|#
TPG,
Half a milligram is 500 micrograms. Going by 1960s measurements,
that's about four to
five doses. The most I ever took at once was three hits. Since
the 'cid of today is weaker, half a milligram is probably ten hits
or so.
|4.29.06 @ 8:11PM|#
Oh yeah, if you took that much at once you better not have any plans for at least a couple of days.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.29.06 @ 8:42PM|#
I looked at all of the articles and I don't see where you are getting the half mg number.
|4.29.06 @ 8:57PM|#
For the record, Janelle Hironimus could escort me to an undisclosed tropical location, deprive me of sleep, and put her underwear on my head anytime.
|4.29.06 @ 10:07PM|#
I don't really get all the comments about tourism. It's still not legal to go there and buy it, so it's not like I can just hop on the trolley down to Tijuana and enjoy a toke. In order to be legal, I guess you would have to know a friend who is willing to share, for free, their less-than 5th ounce.
|4.29.06 @ 10:36PM|#
TPG,
I assume you are not talking to me. I don't recall seeing a weight
amount either.
|4.29.06 @ 11:18PM|#
The amount of LSD that would be comparable to the other amounts
would be so small that the possessor couldn't be sure whether he
was within a factor of ten of it. That was the point I was trying
to make.
Assuming they're not trying to be dicks, they could just say
something like "up to three hits" (or three hits exactly for Ernie
Bushmiller fans), and then look at the "packaging." Three pieces of
blotter, three gel pyramids, three microdots, etc. and you're safe.
Get caught with an eye dropper and you're in trouble. However, what
about three hits of four-way? Would "I didn't know?" be a valid
excuse?
|4.29.06 @ 11:47PM|#
I'm still puzzled why every thread that somehow involves a
woman in politics devolves into a discussion of her
attractiveness.
Do you know any men?
(I was going to chime in that I thought Janelle H. was physically
attractive, just for lack of anything else to say, until I realized
I would be oppressing her thereby. For the record, I love and
respect all women.)
|4.30.06 @ 2:44AM|#
AC wrote: "I'm still puzzled why every thread that somehow
involves a woman in politics devolves into a discussion of her
attractiveness."
I'd answer this, but I'm too busy working on my Condoleeza Rice /
Janelle Hironimus erotic fanfic, in which a young State Department
spokeswoman is initiated into the Sapphic pleasures by the older,
more experienced, Secretary of State.
|4.30.06 @ 2:55AM|#
"Six grams is (especially mexican) is not a lot of pot to go to
jail for."
Mexican weed gets a bad rap. It's the same plant grown domestically
but get's dried, baled and staled to compact it for import making
it virtually useless by he time it reaches (discriminating) US
consumers. I'd wager that folks who consume it locally, get it in a
much better (fresher) state.
Not a fan of Janelle for two reasons:
1) she works for the state department
2) she has no (definable) ear lobes
Having graduated from UCSB, I appreciated:
"She reminds me of every UCSB girl I ever knew."
|4.30.06 @ 2:58AM|#
I can't seem to find the bio on "Face of Homeland Security" for the deputy press secretary/child molester that was recently in the news.
|4.30.06 @ 3:27AM|#
Janelle is dead ugly.
I have lost respect to male H&Runners for thinking she is any
way attractive. The women that REJECT me are ten times hotter than
her.
|4.30.06 @ 7:26AM|#
The young black and old white dudes are checking out her ass
here ...
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/63100.htm
... and they say security detail's boring.
Thomas Paine's Goiter|4.30.06 @ 9:56AM|#
Janelle is dead ugly.
Established.
I have lost respect to male H&Runners for thinking she is
any way attractive. The women that REJECT me are ten times hotter
than her.
Ahhhh, therein lies the true genius of John Nash, pointed out by
Todd Fletcher. Nash's equilibrium wasn't the genius part of "A
Beautiful Mind", rather dodging the unattainable blonde, for the
attainable brunette. Sure, long term, pursue and be rejected by the
unattainable. But for now, tonight, by the attainable chick a
drink.
THAT is what he should have won a Nobel Prize for. Screw game
theory.
|4.30.06 @ 9:59AM|#
I generally avoided undergrads at UCSB, but this excerpt from
the ABC News story looks like it was written by a UCSB
undergrad:
Oscar Aguilar, a Mexico City political analyst, said Fox appeared almost certain to sign the law his office proposed it, and his party supports it and that he had apparently been betting that it would not draw much notice.
That sentence needs at least one more comma and one less
"and".
As to Janelle Hironimus, she doesn't look bad but she's nothing
special, if you ask me.
Warren|4.30.06 @ 10:59AM|#
Janelle is hot.
Legal recreational drugs are cool.
Mexico sends hard-working low-paid laborers to the US and is now
accepting indolent stoner tourists in return. So naturally we're
trying to put a stop to it.
|4.30.06 @ 11:00AM|#
"I'd answer this, but I'm too busy working on my Condoleeza Rice
/ Janelle Hironimus erotic fanfic, in which a young State
Department spokeswoman is initiated into the Sapphic pleasures by
the older, more experienced, Secretary of State."
Well, stop it. Ya filthy pervert.
-----------
Peering into my orb of crystal, I see a future fraught with
hypocrisy, hysteria, and hyperbole. I can't wait.
|4.30.06 @ 12:28PM|#
"Janelle is dead ugly."
Did you look at the picture of her with dubya? I thought she looked
pretty cute there. Maybe it's just the glasses though. Hers, not
mine.
|4.30.06 @ 2:32PM|#
How women look IS important. It's just not the only thing.
She's definitely better looking than Ann Coulter.
But I digress... Mexico's law gives one hope that common sense in
our own "land of the free" ( a curse on the DEA and the drug war
for making ironic quotes mandatory when writing that great line )
might one day triumph.
|4.30.06 @ 3:27PM|#
She's definitely better looking than Ann Coulter.
what the F?
Ann Couler is hot as hell and it is just the liberal media that
shows ugly pictures of her so there.
Now i shall now if you excuse me i shall now open up this amazon
box containing ann's new book godless...
oh my god what is this on the cover!!! Skeleton woman! please
someone give this woman a steak its just hidiouse...arrrrgege..oh
the humanity!
|4.30.06 @ 4:12PM|#
Thank you Joshua. I just once wanna hear a guest on Hannity and
Colmes say "shut up and go eat a sandwich you vile fruitcake." Oh
wait...I forgot, I never watch Hannity and Colmes.
As for Janelle H., I'm surprised none of the erudite have picked up
on her last name which is oh so close to the name of the very
creator of the masterpiece,"The Garden Of Earthly Delights."
That alone get's her at least one notch on the cool scale. And she
is kinda cute...
|4.30.06 @ 5:19PM|#
More from the Hironimus Quote Machine:
So it's -- I mean, you tell them, yeah, I had a meeting with a
member of Congress today. And they're like wow that's so cool. Or
yeah, the Vice President kissed me on my cheek -- it was really
gross. And they're like, what, the Vice President. I mean, just
things like that, it's just the most amazing job.
That's like totally awesome.
|4.30.06 @ 7:57PM|#
I think Hironimus is cute; not insanely beautiful, maybe, but
good-looking. Too bad, really. It will make it that much harder to
shoot her in the face along with all the other flunkies When The
Revolution Comes. (Note to Secret Service, FBI, etc.: I'm joking,
OK?)
A slightly more serious point about whether it's only women's
attractiveness that gets discussed: men's looks don't get that much
discussion, but you only have to look at a few liberal cartoonists'
depictions of Bush to see that they're heavily into mocking his
physical appearance. (Sometimes to the point where you couldn't
even recognize him if you didn't already know who it was
supposed to be.)
|4.30.06 @ 10:28PM|#
"The young black and old white dudes are checking out her ass
here"
Double-checking the picture, I have to agree that's what it looks
like they're doing.
SteveInClearwater|4.30.06 @ 10:54PM|#
BOB offers: Mexican weed gets a bad rap. It's the same plant
grown domestically but get's dried, baled and staled to compact it
for import making it virtually useless by he time it reaches
(discriminating) US consumers.
SH: It's the same plant, but certainly not the same strains in most
cases as grown domestically north of the Mexican border and of
course north of the US/Canadian border.
Mexican weed is deliberately cultivated and harvested in a shorter
time cycle to increase yield. The result means lower quality
product but that's okay because there's a strong market for
cannabis in the $100 an ounce price range.
|4.30.06 @ 11:10PM|#
Steve,
I got a Q.P. in Las Cruces for $150. Nothing like what I've had in
Alaska or Washington, of course, but I couldn't complain: it was
green, and it was bud. Lots of stems and seeds but no leaf and no
shake.
|5.1.06 @ 1:02PM|#
Clarifcation: I think it's almost inevitable that men will
notice whether a woman is attractive or not. And if they find her
particularly attractive, they will be almost unable to give a
shout-out to that effect. It's irrelevant but probably
harmless.
On the other hand, if a guy finds a woman unattractive,
and comments on that as if it somehow reflected on her arguments
and ideas, then it's rude and illogical.
(Not to get all conspicuously sensitive or anything, because I
generally find that irksome also.)
|5.1.06 @ 7:50PM|#
Most likely, the criminal activity this will encourage will
cause them to repeal it within a year, providing a big "I told you
so" moment for the drug warriors.
I do not think it will encourage more or less "criminal" activity
than what exists already. The law is meant to stop people from
using the "I am an addict" excuse to avoid jail whenever caught
with a few grams or a pound of drug. It also tries to avoid the
huge social cost of placing users in jail along with hardened
criminals, basically destroying their lives, like the Americans are
so fond of doing.
BTW, I do not think drug use is a criminal activity. If people
choose to poison themselves, it is their right, but to create and
finance a grotesque war on drugs just so a few are saved from
themselves is unexcusable - you already made that experiment back
in 1919-1933, and it failed miserably.
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