Supposedly, as part of a plan to reduce small-time drug sales, the Mexican government has decriminalized the possession of what they consider appropriate for personal use. In other words, as part of a plan to reduce small-time drug sales, the Mexican government has passed a law that will effectively INCREASE the demand for smaller amounts of drugs. At the same time, the Mexican government has enabled state and local cops to go after small-time dealers and to build cases by making illegal drug buys.

Long ago, American police stopped worrying about the suppliers, the importers, the kingpins of the illegal drug trade in favor of harrassing and arresting users and small-time dealers, most of whom deal only enough to support their own use. This is what I call the "easy pickins" method of law enforcement; it allows cops, with minimum of fuss and a minimum of danger to their precious selves, to bring home the maximum number of felony convictions. It has nothing to do with protecting the public or upholding the law; it's not even about reducing drug use; it's all about counting coup.

Now the Mexican police can get in on the fun. And in a few months or a year, as the drug war continues to devastate their country, they can cite the number of drug dealers they've put behind bars and pretend that they're not contributing to the destruction.

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