Mexico Decriminalizes Pot, Cocaine and Heroin

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has signed into law a bill passed by the country's congress last spring. The new measure decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, LSD, methamphetamines and heroin, setting limits for what constitutes "personal use" quantities. At the same time, it provides free treatment for those with drug addiction.

The hope is that the law will distinguish casual users from addicts. Before, those arrested for drug possession -- even for small amounts -- were handed long jail terms. Studies show that drug use is on the rise in Mexico, calling into question the efficacy of deterrent policies. In addition, the ongoing violent drug war against cartels, which has killed an estimated 11,000 since Calderon took office in 2006, also played an influential roll in the government's shift from punishment to treatment.

Though, in regards to drug policy, the Obama administration has so far charted a different course than that of George W. Bush, the United States has yet to offer an official response to the new law. A measure in Congress introduced earlier this year by Barney Frank and co-sponsored by Ron Paul seeks to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.