Ä [11] TALK.POLITICS.DRUGS (1:375/48) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ TALK.POLITICS.DRUGS Ä
 Msg  : #5695 [215]                                                             
 From : Robert Jesse                        1:2613/335      Sun 08 May 94 00:25 
 To   : (crosspost 1) All                                                       
 Subj : COLOMBIAN HIGH COURT LEGALIZES SOME DRUGS                               
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
From: rjesse@oracle.uucp (Robert Jesse)
Organization: Oracle Corporation, Belmont, CA

From: (Alexander T. Shulgin)
San Francisco Chronicle, page A-12, Saturday May 7, 1994, with
the source given as Associated Press:

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COLOMBIAN HIGH COURT LEGALIZES SOME DRUGS:

Bogota:

In a surprise ruling, Colombia's Constitutional Court has
legalized drug use in that country, the world's main supplier
of cocaine and the site of a drug war that has killed thousands
of people.

The ruling puts Colombia on a collision course with Washington.
which has already accused the Bogoda government of leniency
towards drug traffickers and has stopped sharing evidence in
drug cases.

The Constitutional Court late Thursday legalized possession
and use of small cocaine, marijuana, hashish and hallucinogens.
The production, trafficking and sale of drugs remain illegal.

The ruling angered President Cesar Gaviria, who called it
"absurd."

He said he would examine whether the constitution should be
rewritten to set limits on drug use and consider holding a
national referendum on the issue.

But he responded defiantly when asked by reporters about
reaction from Washington.  "I think that's irrelevant.  It's
an internal issue," Gaviria said.

After the ruling, Constitutional Court President Carlos Arango
told reporters that the court "does not judge laws based on the
opinion of the United States."

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