( CNN ) -- Argentina 's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday it is unconstitutional to punish an adult for private use of marijuana as long as it does n't harm anyone else . A recent poll showed 29 percent of Americans believe the best way to deal with marijuana is to legalize it . The unanimous ruling makes Argentina the second Latin American country in the past four days to allow personal use of a formerly illegal drug . The case in question involved five young men who were arrested for having a few marijuana cigarettes in their pockets . Supreme Court Justice Carlos Fayt , who at one time supported laws that make personal use of marijuana illegal , told the state-run Telam news agency that `` reality '' changed his mind . Argentina 's action came amid growing momentum in Latin America toward decriminalization of possessing small amounts of certain drugs . Mexico enacted a law Friday that decriminalizes possessing low quantities of most drugs , including marijuana , heroin , cocaine and LSD . Earlier this year , a Brazilian appeals court ruled that possession of drugs for personal use is not illegal . Analysts see the shift in attitude as recognition that current methods in the war on drugs are not working . `` It seems quite clear that drug policy based primarily on interdiction and enforcement has failed , '' said Robert Pastor , a Latin America national security adviser for President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s . `` Therefore , it 's natural for people to stand back and ask , 'Is there a better way ? ' `` Pastor noted that some recent research has shown that handling drug use as a health challenge and focusing on treatment may be more efficient . `` What Argentina and Mexico are doing in many ways is blazing a new path , '' Pastor said . Peter Hakim , president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute in Washington , sees a trend at work . `` It 's all part of a harm-reduction approach , '' Hakim said , noting that policymakers are shifting away from getting rid of drugs and toward figuring out how to reduce harm to users and society . Mexico has been considering decriminalization for several years , particularly under the administration of former President Vicente Fox , who held office from 2000-2006 . But efforts by the Mexican congress toward decriminalization met with strong resistance from the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush . `` Mexico tried it under Fox and the U.S. got so snippety that they had to back down , '' Hakim said . President Obama 's inauguration in January may have changed the calculus , analysts said . The Mexican congress passed the measure in April and President Felipe Calderon quietly signed it into law . In a visit to the United States , Fox said in May a new approach is needed . `` I believe it 's time to open the debate over legalizing drugs , '' he told CNN . `` It must be done in conjunction with the United States , but it is time to open the debate . '' Earlier this year , Fox 's predecessor and two other former leaders of Latin American nations also called for the decriminalization of marijuana for personal use and a change in strategy in the war on drugs . The three ex-presidents were members of the 17-nation Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy , which issued its recommendations in February after studying the issue for a year . `` The problem is that current policies are based on prejudices and fears and not on results , '' former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria said at a news conference in which the commission 's recommendations were presented . Former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil said the group called for only the decriminalization of marijuana and not other illicit drugs because `` you have to start somewhere . '' Fox 's predecessor , Ernesto Zedillo , was president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000 . Gaviria was president of Colombia from 1990 to 1994 . And Cardoso led Brazil from 1995 to 2002 . In his swing through the United States , Fox said any change in drug laws must be accompanied by an education campaign in schools and homes . And because the United States is a large consumer of marijuana that comes from Latin America , any steps toward legalization must be supported in Washington , he said . Gaviria had said in February that the time was right to start a debate on the subject because of the new administration in Washington . `` In many states in the United States , as is the case in California , they have begun to change federal policies with regard to tolerating marijuana for therapeutic purposes . And in Washington there 's some consensus that the current policy is failing , '' Gaviria said . The Inter-American Dialogue 's Hakim said one recent poll showed that 29 percent of Americans think the best way to deal with marijuana is to legalize it . Pastor , the former Carter official , wondered whether anyone in Washington is paying attention . `` The question , '' he said Tuesday , `` is whether the United States will be open to this new path . ''
NEW : Argentina court : The case of the missing plane Justice tells state-run news agency `` reality '' changed his mind . Mexico enacted law that decriminalizes possessing low quantities of most drugs .