doors of perception: mexico decriminalises marijuana and other drugs

Above: Marijuana Demo, Mexico. More action in Mexico City as part of the global marijuana march, Sat May 6th 2006.

Mexico's Congress has approved a law which will bring in 'Class C' decriminalisation for possession of small amounts of cannabis or 'marijuana' ... cocaine and heroin.

And, despite pressure from the US DEA it looks like the Mexican President Vicente Fox, who could block the new law will sign the go ahead for the bill.

The Mexican government is following the footsteps of the British 'Class C' for cannabis policy, which allows police to focus on large-scale trafficking operations rather than minor drug busts.

In Britain 'Class C' is saving the tax payer about £1 billion a year.

The Mexican law also stipulates allowable quantities for an array of other drugs, including LSD, ecstasy and amphetamines. Again their policy is very like the plans suggested by Britain's forward thinking 'New Labour' government which would allow cannabis users to possess surprisingly large amounts of the drug before they would be accused of dealing.

However again the Mexicans go much further than Britain where 'magic mushrooms' have been made a 'Class A' drug along with heroin. Under the new Mexican law it will be ok to possess more than two pounds of peyote, the button-sized hallucinogenic cactus used in some native Indian religious ceremonies.

Mexico's cops, famous for their corruption and bribe taking will have to look elsewhere for extra cash, but the country can expect a massive tourist boom.

Mexico produces some of the best marijuana in the world, the strongest 'magic' mushrooms the natural source of Psilocybe (supposedly sampled there by the Beatles). 'Peyote' is also found in Mexicio - this is the natural source of the psychedelic Mescaline as described in the Doors of Perseption by Aldous Huxley.