by Rolando Ramos, El Economista
Javier Gonzalez Garza declared himself to be in favor of decriminalizing all types of marijuana use in Mexico.
The cannabis issue, said the president of the House of Representatives Political Coordinating Council and coordinator of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) faction in congress, has to be discussed apart from other types of drugs such as cocaine, heroine, opium, and synthetic drugs.
"What we don't want is the criminalization of youth for consumption or possession of marijuana; that's not what we want. That is a pivotal point. If we make consumption or possession of marijuana a serious crime, there won't be enough jails in Mexico."
Blanca Heredia, the Interior Ministry's Commissioner of Political Development, participated on behalf of Fernando Gomez Mont, Secretary of the Interior, in the opening of the "Forum for Debate Over the Control of the Cannabis Plant in Mexico," which was organized by the Lower House [House of Representatives]. She told forum participants that in the case of drugs, and in particular the use of marijuana, neither total deregulation nor total prohibition is the answer. Instead, a balance must be found.
"Every new solution is by nature a partial one. Every decision avoids risks and brings new problems. It's about carefully balancing them, about rigorously analyzing the impact that different proposals would have on the drug market and in the organized crime industry."
In the case of drugs, she said, we can't hope to find magic or simple solutions.
rramos@eleconomista.com.mx
Translated by Kristin Bricker.
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