MEXICO LEGALIZES DRUG POSSESSION

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday
decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine,
heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment
for drug dependency free of charge.

The law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also
including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those
quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution; the law goes into
effect on Friday.

Anyone caught with drug amounts under the personal-use limit will be
encouraged to seek treatment, and for those caught a third time
treatment is mandatory -- although no penalties for noncompliance are
specified.

Mexican authorities said the change only recognized the longstanding
practice here of not prosecuting people caught with small amounts of
drugs.

The maximum amount of marijuana considered to be for "personal use"
under the new law is 5 grams -- the equivalent of about four marijuana
cigarettes. Other limits are half a gram of cocaine, 50 milligrams of
heroin, 40 milligrams for methamphetamine and 0.015 milligrams of LSD.

President Felipe Calderon waited months before approving the law.