The President of Mexico is Andres Manuel lópez Obrador released a new national development plan, which calls for a radical reform of the national legislation on drugs and to negotiate with the United States on similar measures.
The plan put forward by the administration of President Lopez Obrador, provides for the legalization of previously illegal drugs and the transfer of funds that were spent to fight them to pay for treatment programs.
Obrador pointed to the failure of long-term international drug war and called for negotiations with the international community (in particular with the USA), to ensure the success of the new strategy. The document States: decriminalization of drugs is the «only real opportunity» of solving the problem.
«This should be done through negotiations: bilateral with United States, and multilateral through the UN,» — said the President of Mexico.
Proponents of the reform related to drugs, welcomed the plan Obrador.
Steve Hawkins, Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project in the United States, told Newsweek that the plan of the President of Mexico «reflects the evolution of thinking about drug policy, which occurs worldwide, including in the United States».
«The war on drugs has cost too much, not only from the point of view of state resources, but also human lives, and she was unable to achieve its goal, explained Hawkins. — The policy of prohibition has caused more harm to people than drugs themselves do, and she did not succeed in eliminating demand and supply on drugs.»
In October last year, the international drug policy consortium (IDPC) published a report which highlights the global rise of violence caused by the war on drugs.
In addition, every fifth prisoner in the world is behind bars because of drug-related crime, often just for the possession of cannabis or other banned substances.
«There is a growing opinion that drug use should be considered rather as a public health issue, not criminal justice,» said Hawkins.
Although 10 States and Washington (D.C.) have legalized recreational marijuana, the Federal government continues to klassificeret it as a prohibited drug.
Polls have shown that the legalization of marijuana across the country enjoys bipartisan support.
Decriminalization of all drugs, of course, Washington is not even discussed. This week, however, Denver (Colorado) became the first city in the country, the referendum in which legalized ghallucinogenia mushrooms.
How the US will react to the plan of the President of Mexico, is still unknown.
«The authorities increasingly realize that can’t afford to fight a war on drugs, noted Hawkins. Leaders are looking for new strategies, as is currently happening in Mexico.»
