“The United States reacted cautiously on Saturday to a Mexican measure that would make it legal to carry small amounts of cocaine, heroin and other drugs for personal use. … President Vicente Fox has yet to sign the bill, which would eliminate penalties for those caught with small amounts of some drugs, but his office has applauded it. Mexican lawmakers have said the bill will let authorities focus on major drug traffickers and not clutter prisons with small-time offenders. U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Judith Bryan said Saturday the measure could actually make it easier to prosecute drug crimes because it attempts to ‘precisely specify the amount of narcotics in possession of a suspect to allow a criminal prosecution.’” [editor’s note: This is one to watch — it may provide some answers on the dispute between “incrementalism” advocates and “purist” anti-half-measurists - TLK] (04/30/06)