Mexico has become the latest Latin American country to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use. On Friday, the Mexican government enacted a law that makes it legal to carry up to five grams of marijuana and smaller amounts of other drugs including cocaine and heroin. A similar measure was approved in 2006 but later dropped under pressure from the United States. Ethan Nadelmann of the US-based Drug Policy Alliance Network praised the new move.

Ethan Nadelmann: “What Mexico did a few days ago in decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs was very much a step in the right direction, and it’s also consistent with what’s going on in other countries in Latin America and Europe. I mean, it’s basically about decriminalizing the individual who simply uses drugs and is not otherwise involved in crime, and it’s also about treating people who have addiction as a health issue rather than a criminal issue.”

Argentina also took a similar step this week. The Argentine Supreme Court has effectively decriminalized small-scale marijuana possession after ruling it unconstitutional to prosecute Argentines who use it privately.