Showing posts with label Argentina court allows personal use of pot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Argentina court allows personal use of pot. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Argentina court allows personal use of pot


By Arthur Brice
CNN


(CNN) -- Argentina's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday it is unconstitutional to punish an adult for private use of marijuana as long as it doesn't harm anyone else.
A recent poll showed 29 percent of Americans believe the best way to deal with marijuana is to legalize it.

A recent poll showed 29 percent of Americans believe the best way to deal with marijuana is to legalize it. ~deja vu~

The unanimous ruling makes Argentina the second Latin American country in the past four days to allow personal use of a formerly illegal drug.

The case in question involved five young men who were arrested for having a few marijuana cigarettes in their pockets.

Supreme Court Justice Carlos Fayt, who at one time supported laws that make personal use of marijuana illegal, told the state-run Telam news agency that "reality" changed his mind.

Argentina's action came amid growing momentum in Latin America toward decriminalization of possessing small amounts of certain drugs.

Mexico enacted a law Friday that decriminalizes possessing low quantities of most drugs, including marijuana, heroin, cocaine and LSD.

Earlier this year, a Brazilian appeals court ruled that possession of drugs for personal use is not illegal.CNN