In response to pressure from the United States, Mexican president Vicente Fox has sent a drug policy bill back to Congress for revision. Fox had previously committed to signing the bill, which was intended to increase the federal government's ability to pursue drug traffickers.
 
Under current law, people who are deemed "addicts" possessing drugs for personal use can be exempted from prosecution, but the amount that constitutes "possession for personal use" is undefined and judges make the determination of who can be considered an addict.
 
The Fox administration has identified this vagueness in existing law as promoting corruption, as judges have the latitude to keep traffickers out of jail by declaring them to be addicts. The new law sought to clarify that ambiguity by eliminating the "addict" distinction and specifying amounts that could be considered "personal use."
 
The bill would also have given more control over low-level drug enforcement to state and local authorities so that the federal government could put greater resources towards combating trafficking and violent drug-related crime.
 
Despite the bill's intention to reduce corruption and focus federal resources where they can be most effective, it was characterized by the international media as a "drug legalization" effort. U.S. officials condemned the bill, with the U.S. Embassy encouraging Mexico to avoid appearing to tolerate drug use. In response, President Fox said in a statement that the law should be revised to clarify that drug possession and consumption in Mexico will continue to be crimes.
 
Language spelling this out will likely be added to a revised version of the bill.