Latin America: Argentine Court Decriminalizes Drug Possession in Buenos Aires

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #533)
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy

A federal court in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires Tuesday decriminalized drug possession in the capital in a ruling that could be altered by the country's high court, but which is in line with the position of the government of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. In issuing its ruling, the federal court threw out thousands of drug possession cases pending in the federal district.

The ruling from the federal court of appeals came in the case of two young people arrested for possession of marijuana joints and ecstasy tablets at an electronic music concert in 2007. In those cases, the court held that the 1989 drug law that punished simple drug possession or consumption is unconstitutional .

Under that law, drug users were seen as the base of a chain that led directly to drug traffickers. But the appeals court held that that law generated "an avalanche of cases against users without managing to ascend the links of the chain to the drug traffickers."

The current government is in favor of reforming drug laws. During a recent UN session, Argentine Justice and Security Minister Aníbal Fernández called the policy of punishing drug users "an absolute failure."

Now, a federal appeals court has ratified that opinion.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

After reading this article, it only serves to enrage me even more, that the drug policy in this country is so archaic and corrupt.

It's formulaic in that the flexible approach here in the States would acheive results, but the math has been distorted, and diluted to suit the policy makers. It's a rotten shame.
Disgustedly,
Annette G.
Elmhurst, NY

Fri, 04/25/2008 - 1:51pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The reason for the continued drug policies in the CORPORATION known as UNITED STATES & its' administrative divisions, known as STATES
is profits for LAW ENFORCEMENT, ATTORNEYS & BANKSTERS who have fraudulently enslaved We the People.

The prison, industrial system is a blight on this country. With > 2M people incarcerated, this means that > 2M families have been abused!

Drug crimes are an outrageous abuse of power & the public trust, contrary to the intent of the law, as there is NO DAMAGED PARTY - corpus delecti,
which is a tenant of law.

All State, County, & City Publics Servants are guilty of perjury, sedition, treason, et.al. cimes as each is NOT supporting de jure, lawful govt.

The Constitution provides remedy for treason! Let's follow the Law of the Land.

Fri, 04/25/2008 - 6:54pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The Drug War in America is dumb and unconstitutional everyone has listened to Big Borhter The ole mighty oil merchants for so long and are addicted to ciggs and alchol which kill and they don't give marijuana a chance.. no one fights when they are irie! they sit on a couch chill on da beach make hemp stuff etc...

Fri, 04/25/2008 - 7:29pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

The media beat ups keep this war going on , its time to sue those deseminating the lies ,those conducting colusion to generate gross human rights indecencies and abuse on ordenary people by a very real WAR .

The susstem that feels a druggie isnt human [isnt worth respect, who is by lie deemed guilty , who dont even have the right to have their voice heard , but that cops discrimination and abuse from not only the lying media but pro active policing oppression and lies about a plant and those chosing to use its healing properties

Fri, 04/25/2008 - 8:46pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

I HATE IT ! GO GET SOME ENTERTAINING NEWS!

love, fred from massachussets <333333333333

Wed, 05/07/2008 - 9:33am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

i agreeee with fred from massachussets <33333333

love always & foreverrr x3,
walter from arizona.

Wed, 05/07/2008 - 9:45am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

by the waaaay, im walter from arizona. x3333

Wed, 05/07/2008 - 9:46am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

hey fred. i know this is so boring talk about being boring! my head fell in my coffee while readin iT! whoever thinks this is boring, comment on us!

Flemma from Oregon <3333333

Wed, 05/07/2008 - 9:46am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

i kno rite. i mean seriously dis is mad boring yo!

lesss get some more interesting info fo shoo!

Wed, 05/07/2008 - 9:47am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

woah, i agree with everyone. don't you find it interesting how we all agree ?

LETS BE BEST FRIENDS!

much love, sierra from nevada <3

Thu, 05/08/2008 - 11:03am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Hello. I think this is the best article. I love to read about humble things such as this article. And to you rude people that have nothing nice to say. have major problems. I have the police tracking you down and they dont think this is funny at all. I hope you learn your lesson!

Thu, 05/08/2008 - 11:07am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

hey guys, sorry about those rude comments i said. w.e u want to say isnt my business!

lovee,, jasliene from Boddytough

Thu, 05/08/2008 - 4:53pm Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

its okay no offense taken. i accept your apologyy.

Mon, 05/12/2008 - 10:43am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

yeah, it's ok jasliene. we both accept your kind apology. x333333333333333333333333333333333333333

xoxo,
walter from arizona.

Mon, 05/12/2008 - 10:49am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Please limit your comments to subjects about the article. If you dont want to say anything nice, please dont say/comment anything else.

From,
Director and Manager of this article.

P.S. Thanks a lot Jasliene. I am very thankful to have someone who cares about my web page.

Mon, 05/12/2008 - 10:52am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

yo yo yo yo yo yo...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyone want to talk?

Mon, 05/12/2008 - 10:53am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

omg how can you say we dont care!? We all care very much about this article. If only you could spice up this article in a sassy way. Talk about teens and their problems and how they get around and make some actual NEWS. That would make even more peopel read it. You can even lie if you need to. Its your article. No one will know. Its like doing what magazines do. HELLO wake up your business is falling apart. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can help if you want.

give me a call.

555-0978

Mon, 05/12/2008 - 10:56am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

we care about this page. i mean its FANTABULOUS! but we were just stating taht this article is a wee bit boring. i mean ya, this is importent, but its just like uhm, idk.. boring. you should spice it up. and fursure, we are gonna read it. MOST DEFFFF X33333333 byebye now. be beautiful.

Mon, 05/12/2008 - 10:57am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Bill O'Reilly is going to have a cow... seriously, that guy is going to lay a whole damn bull, horns and all, straight out through his ass. Mexicans, kids, and liberal college professors will now run wild in the streets tearing down the gates of civilization for the Reds and Al Qaeda to enter unopposed and convert us to their unchristian ways!

All hope is lost!!!

Fri, 06/20/2008 - 1:15am Permalink

Add new comment


Source URL: https://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/2008/apr/25/latin_america_argentine_court_de