Argentina Court Rules Pot Prosecution Unconstitutional

The Argentine supreme court yesterday ruled against punishing personal use of marijuana, calling such laws unconstitutional, the BBC reports. Argentina joins a growing wave of Latin American countries supporting decriminalizing personal use of the drug, a marked contrast to US-backed drug war policy. Perhaps hoping to deflect criticism from churches and conservatives, the court emphasized that it was not advocating full marijuana decriminalization and that use of the drug must not harm others.

"Each adult is free to make lifestyle decisions without the intervention of the state," the court said. "The state cannot establish morality." (More marijuana stories.)