Guadalajara -
Jalisco state attorney general Luis Carlos Nájera says his office will resist any proposal to decriminalize marijuana under state law, whether for recreational or alleged therapeutic purposes.
Yesterday legislative floor managers for the left wing Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) announced they would begin hearings on such a proposal next week. A similar PRD effort is already underway in the Federal District, where the measure has a far better chance of approval because of PRD's dominance in the local assembly. PRD will push for legal pot in Mexico's Federal District.
On Tuesday Nájera told Jalisco deputies that seven out of every 10 defendants his office prosecutes were under the influence of some drug at the time of their offense. He said legalization would lead to more violence, reduce business productivity and turn the state into a center for "drug tourism. People are fed up with all that," added Nájera.
In sharp contrast to the United States, there is little national support for drug legalization in Mexico, even marijuana. In May 2013 president Enrique Peña Nieto said he is opposed to legalization as a quick fix for the country's security problems, and a November 2012 public opinion survey showed that 79% of Mexican citizens agree. An August 2013 public opinion survey on Mexican attitudes towards marijuana legalization published by Sinembargo.com, a liberal media source, reported that 49.6% of those questioned were opposed to decriminalization of cannabis, while 13.4% favored it. Some drug war experts argue decriminalization would exacerbate cartel rivalries, by enabling them to focus their energies on eliminating competitors. In December 2012, Mexico's attorney general said the country has 60-80 active drug cartels.
Jan. 2, 2014 - Mexico will report on marijuana eradication
Dec. 17, 2013 - Who is committed to the drug war?
Aug. 3, 2013 - Manuel López Obrador: no to marijuana legalization
June 5, 2013 - Vicente Fox: "I'd raise marijuana, were it legal"
May 30, 2013 - Vicente Fox, ex-Microsoft exec want to "open pot trade with Mexico"
© MGR 2014. All rights reserved. This article may be cited or briefly quoted with proper attribution or a hyperlink, but not reproduced without permission.
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