The International Narcotics Control Board criticizes several Latin American countries

A new report by the independent body monitoring United Nations drug
control practices strongly criticized recent moves by several Latin
American countries toward decriminalizing possession of some narcotics.

The Vienna-based International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said in
its annual report that Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina were sending "the
wrong message" in legislative and judicial developments that aim to
decriminalize the possession of some drugs
(http://www.incb.org/incb/en/annual-report-2009.html).

The report also "wishes to remind" Bolivia that under established
international conventions, the traditional use of coca leaf in that
country remains an "illicit" activity.

But the report, released Wednesday, drew strong criticism itself by
nongovernmental agencies that are calling the INCB's criticism of
Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina an overstepping of the organization's
mandate. The report's words for the Latin American countries constitutes
"unwarranted intrusions into these countries' sovereign
decision-making," said the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) and
the Transnational Institute (TNI) in a joint statement.

The organizations say the INCB has no jurisdiction over policy changes
within sovereign nations.

Mexico in 2009 decriminalized the possession of small amounts of
marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Brazil replaced prison
sentences with education and treatment for small-time drug offenders in
2006, and is moving toward rewriting drug laws this year that may
include total decriminalization of narcotics possession. Last year,
Argentina's Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the punishment of
possession of marijuana for personal use.

"In the case of the Argentine Supreme Court ruling, it is arrogant
interference by the INCB to question the judgment of the highest
judicial authority of a sovereign State," Martin Jelsma, TNI Drugs
and Democracy Program Coordinator, said in a statement.

The INCB report also has strong words for the United States, where
several states, including California, are moving toward legalizing or
regularizing the use of marijuana. The U.N. body says it is "deeply
concerned" that the regularizing of marijuana use for medical purposes
"sends the wrong message to other countries."