Mexico Took a Step Forward But Only U.S. Policy Can End the Violence
Last week, Mexico passed a new law decriminalizing simple possession of marijuana and other drugs. Perhaps our neighbor to the south will now consider the possibility of full legalization (regulating marijuana like alcohol, as opposed to simply removing penalties for possession). A number of people in Mexico are calling for a debate, with former President Vicente Fox as one of the most prominent voices in that chorus. However, others are wondering if legalization in Mexico would make a difference. The answer, as I see it, is unfortunately no.
The World Health Organization’s 2008 report on drug use found that more Americans use marijuana than people in any of the other 16 countries studied (which included Mexico). The report, along with many other sources, concludes that America is the largest illicit drug market in the world. The cartels in Mexico cater almost exclusively to customers in the U.S., pulling in huge profits every year (70% of which are from marijuana sales). If Mexico were to legalize marijuana, the cartels’ business would continue as usual. They would still smuggle marijuana into the U.S. and continue to profit from doing so.
No, the answer to the cartel problem does not lie in Mexico; it lies here in the U.S.
The U.S. alone has the power to wipe out the cartels, and it can do so with a simple change in policy. Were we to abolish marijuana prohibition and replace it with a system of taxation and regulation based on alcohol laws, a new, legal marijuana industry would put the criminal competition out of business overnight. We did it once before. In the 1930s, following our failed experiment with alcohol prohibition, the fledgling alcohol industry took over, producing a safer product and putting money into the economy rather than taking it out. And it happened without the moral degradation prohibitionists predicted.
This is precisely why the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy released a report in January calling on the U.S. to change its marijuana laws. Drug producing countries in Latin America have first-hand experience with the devastating effects of America’s war on drugs. The violence and organized crime feeding the U.S. market have been rooted there for decades, with disastrous results. The U.S., on the other hand, has never faced these realities on its own soil – not to the same scale and severity as our neighbors in Mexico or those who lived through the reign of Pablo Escobar in Columbia.
But that is beginning to change. Violence in Mexico is spilling over into Texas, Arizona, and southern California. The cartels now operate in 230 American cities – think about what that means. 230 means more than New York, Los Angeles, and other large metropolitan areas, it means Bismark, N.D., Wichita, Kan., and even Kalamazoo, Mich., small towns where Americans are feeling the impact of bad drug policy. More directly, it means that the U.S. government can no longer ignore the failures of its war on marijuana.
The sensible solution is right in front of us. We just need the political will to see it through.
If you’d like to help make a change, write your member of Congress and ask him or her to support marijuana policy reform. More information on how to do so can be found at mpp.org/federal-action.
Tagged with: Mexico and Prohibition and Vicente Fox by the author
36 comments
Truth is being replaced with greed and power. Justice is being replaced with selfishness. America is being replaced by a nightmare! Stand for what you know to be right.
STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA! STOP THOSE IN POWER WHO CARE NOTHING FOR OUR VOICE AND FREEDOM!
If our leaders arent interested in cutting the legs out from under these cartels… what is their interest? With all the scientific facts given on the relitive harmlessness of cannabis. With all the facts that show these cartels could be drmatically weaked with one policy change. What is their true interest? Are they really not interested in knocking these cartels down in a hurry? If not Why? Our leaders are always in such a big hurry to pass new bills and spend “OUR” money quickly, I ask again. WHY ? Why are they not interested in stopping this maddness ..IN A HURRY?
Do our leaders think they have us blinded as well as brainwashed? I think not! Pressure them! Never let them rest! Give no room to move! End this madness.
We will see an end soon. Civilizations rise and they fall. The times are a changing my friends. More people are finally opening their eyes and turning off their tubes. Have faith that we will all come together and some patience. Keep on smokin’ and keep on fighting peacefully as we’ve done. Even though it’s illegal they haven’t stopped us from being away from this beautiful herb. We have seen more people talking about this than ever before and I’m loving it.
Check out my new video. S Pass it ’round.
Cannabis Prohibition: A Masterpiece in the Art of Brainwashing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRcSfgBlxXQ
well, im happy about this, i do hope that obama listens to mexico about this.
Since the area of GA that i reside is a one party town, i was asked to help without the under dog, Obama. I informed the office that if they wanted to win in GA, that they needed to have obama support a change, a huge change, a change that would not cost a cent, but would save billions in tax dollars. I was laughed at. The big two will not get my money, time or vote until they make the change. My elected officals do get emails and letters from me, i talk to my neighbors about this issue and they do agree, but they are more fearful of the govt telling them how to live. I try to tell them, that is what i am talking about.
Hey Ben,
It would take you all of 5 minutes to copy this and swing it by the change.org page. I have no clue why you guys have chosen to ignore that site but there WAS a lively discussion going on there until you abandoned the page. If you’re not going to update it, at least open it up to the people that still use it so we can update it.
We should all do what great Gandhi did in India. Called civil disobedience. All pot smokers across US should show their support and just stay home one day one the same day. Taxi drivers, doctors, attorney, musicians, politicians, police office, yes i said police officers, every single person who supports the cause. Just stay home for one day one the same day. Might sound stupid and might take more that one day but it worked in India.
People of India were fighting for their freedom and independence and there were casualties and loss of life, but their passion and determination got them to their goal.
I know we also fighting for our freedom, but are we that passionate or that determined? I know i am and i’m ready just name the date.
I think MPP or NORML should consider this and organize a civil disobedience day to support legalization of marijuana.
[...] to legalize marijuana, the cartels’ business would continue as usual. See more here: Mexico Took a Step Forward But Only U.S. Policy Can End the … Share and [...]
“If our leaders arent interested in cutting the legs out from under these cartels… what is their interest?”
Their interest is in winning elections. They aren’t going to legalize marijuana as long as the majority of voters are against it.
It wont matter what mexico does… The American populace is the largest consumer of cannabis, so as long as the demand is there the cartels will continue to export their product to the united states.
The US needs to either A:
Send all drug “offenders” to prison camps and start giving death sentences for these crimes. And then we can become the great NAZI police state were average citizens must live in fear every day.
OR B:
We can tax and regulate cannabis and put the cartels out of business.
But why will we not do either of these things? Because the status quo is much better. The police state and gestapo like force will continue to thrive, and the cartels and criminal gangs will continue to feed them eager new prisoners to fill their jails while our streets are more aand more unsafe every day.
what do you think of
To free the weed, The Police call it blue flu. legally they can’t strike for higher wages.But they can call in sick. Maybe it is time for the GREEN FLU!
……..and what the United States going to do about it? The answer is, “Throw more money!”
Taxation and regulation of marijuana is in the public interest. The refusal to implement a regulatory program for marijuana in the United States is irresponsible and a violation of the public trust.
The cartels would be poorer and our people safer if we implemented a Personal Use and Cultivation Permit: $100 per year for a dozen plants. Split the proceeds between the States and the Fed.
Let’s put the cartels out of business.
Let’s let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards.
What would be the MPP.org position on such a home-cultivation permit and fee? This seems like it would appeal to multiple sides of the debate: Public revenue, personal liberty, public safety… Any comments?
Nick # 5
Obama met with Mexican president Calderone a week prior to the decriminilization. You can this issue was discussed.
Given the fact that Obama is on record pre-election as being in favor of decriminalization, it is not far fetched to imagine that Obama is using Mexico as a “guinea pig” , so to speak. A test case. He may be taking a wait and see approach and if all goes well in Mexico, then perhaps he will do the same thing here in America.
Please watch my video I posted above , rate and comment to your hearts content.
We have to be pro active on this. The momentum is in our favor despite the news reports that are CLEARLY distracting us Michael Jackson, for example. Geeze, how much do we really have to know about a guy who died 2 months ago?
I do not feel sorry for a dead drug addict. That is what he was. At least my two yung boys are a little safer. Enough of mike jackson.
To Mark. Excellent job buddy. Tell it how it is. I enjoyed your video even though I have heard all the facts before. You forgot to mention the pharmaceutical companies who are pouring money into government to keep marijuana illegal while they developing a man made substitute that they can then try to sell us.
Marijuana is one of the Gods’ greatest gifts to the people and NO GOVERNMENT HAS RIGHT TO TAKE IT AWAY.
They aren’t going to legalize marijuana as long as the majority of voters are against it.
See, that’s the thing though — recent polling has shown a virtual 50/50 split nationwide on legalization. In some places, like California, there is a clear majority seeking legalization. So it’s not the voters; there’s something else at work that keeps elected officials in line.
My guess is lobbying — law enforcement agencies, pharmaceutical companies, MADD, private prison companies, alcohol and tobacco companies. These entities all have strong financial interest in maintaining prohibition, and have significant financial resources with which to lobby.
Unfortunately the voters are one of the least powerful parties in our “democratic” political system. Otherwise, we’d have seen a lot more support from our elected officials for legalization; it may not have passed by this point, but it certainly should not be the fringe issue it’s treated as if approximately 50% of the public supports it.
“See, that’s the thing though — recent polling has shown a virtual 50/50 split nationwide on legalization. In some places, like California, there is a clear majority seeking legalization.”
There have been several national polls on legalization this year. One Zogby poll had 52% for legalization. One poll had only 37% or 38% for legalization. The others that came out before and after the 52% Zogby poll were all in the low to mid forties range. The actual support is probably closer to the low to mid forties range rather than 50/50.
Marijuana legalization is a long running issue that people have very strong opinions on. If you look at breakdowns in the polls one thing you see is that a high percentage of those who oppose legalization respond that they are “strongly opposed” rather than just “somewhat opposed,” whereas a high percentage of those who support legalization respond that they “somewhat support” it rather than strongly support it. Also, when you look at demographics on these polls you see that most all the older voters, especially those 65 and older, are strongly opposed to legalization. These people actually go to the polls and vote. A high percentage of the 18 to 29 group support legalization but they tend to be terrible about actually registering to vote and getting to the polls when elections are held. Not only that but they don’t donate much money to political campaigns. An awful lot of money comes from the older voters though.
The point is here that even if 50% will say they support legalization on polls, that doesn’t mean that 50% of the people who show up at the polls will be people who support legalization. Odds are, especially in a mid term election, a whole lot more of the old geezers that are almost all strongly opposed to legalization will show up at the polls and a whole lot of the young folks who largely support legalization won’t even show up. Just look at the data on who registers, who actually votes, the percentages that show up at mid term elections compared to presidential elections, and you’ll see just what I’m talking about. A 50/50 split (which we don’t have yet) is not good enough to make politicians feel comfortable going out on a limb for legalization because they know more of the opposition would show up at the polls, and they worry that they’ll lose campaign money from older voters and perhaps have that money thrown their opponent’s way. We’re going to have to see a good bit more than 50% support and that support is going to have to be consistent. One poll isn’t going to do it.
What’s going on in California is interesting. There probably is more support there for legalization than in most other states. But really, as far as I know there has only been one poll there showing greater than 50% support. There was a Field Poll where 56% of the people surveyed said marijuana should be legalized. I believe there was also at least one other California poll this year that only had support somewhere in the mid forties. I don’t know that we have enough to say with confidence that a clear majority of Californians support legalization. It will be interesting to see how the legislative efforts and the ballot initiatives play out. I don’t think there is much chance at all that the legislature will legalize marijuana in the next year, but there is an outside chance that one of these initiatives in the works makes in on the ballot and actually gets a majority of the vote.
Support for legalization has been growing steadily since the early Nineties by around one point per year and the pace may be picking up. We’re going to get to the point where we have majority support. Our politicians will not all just change overnight when we do finally get majority support though. Today almost none of them will say publicly that we ought to legalize marijuana. I think a lot of them are just playing the game and deep down they support legalization, but a lot of them believe the crap they say about pot and legalization and they’ll resist legalization even if the majority of the people are for it.
Especially at the national level our most powerful lawmakers are old as the hills. The most powerful members of Congress and the Senate are mostly people in their mid sixties and older, people who grew up before marijuana use took off in this country. Like senior citizens in the general public they tend to be strongly opposed to legalization. These old geezers are the ones that are calling the shots. They have seniority. They fill most of the important committee head slots. They dictate the party line, and the younger lawmakers for the most part will vote the party line. That’s just the way it works.
What’s happening though is that baby boomers are starting to become the senior politicians. The oldest boomers aren’t that much different than those who came before them, but on average they are a lot more likely than those who came before them to be open to the idea of legalizing marijuana. Boomers born a few years later are even more open to the idea. More than half of them have smoked pot.
These boomer lawmakers born in the late forties and early fifties are actually statisticaly more like than their contemnporaries in the general public to have smoked pot because they are mostly males and most went to college at least if not graduate school. Historical drug use survey data shows that a fairly high percentage of people from that era smoked pot and the likelihood that people born in the forties and fifties smoked it increases dramatically if they are males who went to college and it increases even more if they went to graduate school. I don’t have the numbers in front of me right now but if you dig into the data you’ll see that maybe 40% of all people born in 1948 have smoked pot, but when you look at just males born in 1948 who went to graduate school the percentage increases to something like 65%. I’d have look at the data to give the exact numbers but that is the sort of thing you would see if you looked at it. You’d also see that almost none of the people born in 1938 have smoked pot, regardless of their sex or education levels.
I think we are still a few years from legalization at the federal level. Support for it is growing. We still don’t have majority support though and we’re going to need a pretty strong majority before we’ll get enough of our lawmakers on board. Things are really going to start heating up in the next few years as support grows. We might see a state or two legalize in the next few years. I think we could a few states to decriminalize in the next few years if we pushed for it, and we might even be able to get a state or two to decriminalize growing a few plants for personal use. That would keep some victories rolling in for us and push the legalization debate to new levels.
TK Dietz
Good post, especially about who shows up at the polls.
As I stated in my video (see above), we need to make each and every election from now on a “1 issue election”, that of legalization.
Each one of us needs to get in the face of every legislator/politician running for office in our respective states and demand that they take a stand publicly one way or the other, and, if they are for the status quo, then we make it clear to them in no uncertain terms that WE WILL NOT VOTE for them.
BTW, stillwaiting for a reply from you about what happens to weed when it is confiscated. Why doesn’t it show up in court?Thanks!
Mark
Good analysis TK, I agree. The age difference you pointed out is crucial; luckily, it will eventually work in our favor as the pre-boomer and early boomer generations start to leave the public sphere. If you think about it, even 10 years ago this issue was a true political third rail. Now we’re at the point where our President has previously advocated for decriminalization, and governors all over the country (even Republican ones) are at least saying they are open to debate. I would say it’s still a marginal issue, but less and less so every year.
I also agree that it will be a piecemeal, back-and-forth sort of progression. A state here, a state there, progress here, setbacks there. Which I am honestly fine with. One of the challenges though will be the federal Schedule 1 status. The feds have been extremely stubborn about even moving it to Schedule 2, which makes it difficult for any state to legalize without legal gray area.
But hey, it has to happen at some point right? An obvious truth can only be suppressed for so long in an open society.
TK Dietz, disregard my comment. I found your reply. Thans so much!
BTW, in New Jersey, the “evidence” DOES NOT SHOW UP IN COURT. When I asked both the cop who popped me and my lawyer if it would show up in court, they both laughed. Common knowlegde that the cop smoked it or resold it.
It seems like everyday that passes is like another nail in the DEA coffin.
The light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting closer friends
Majority vote my ASS! I live in Mn. and we hed a majority vote and our P. O. S. Gov. vetoed the bill. As I see it that is a majrity jack shit. The will of the people spoke and got shit on. I will be loud and I will be heard. There will be a chance next year to change our constitution and I will stand and I will be Heard.
Mark #23, hey man how r you? also i love your videos =) keep up the good work Mark
hi Clarence #25, i also live in MN in rochester, we really need to get rid of gov TIM P, we need to find someone that Cares for our people.
Gov. pawlenty has already said he will not seek relection. Our next gov will be asked where he stands on the marijuana issue. If there is even a hint of not allowing med. mj. I will not vote for that person.
Clarence #28, you are right, im gonna do the same.
Another negative side effect of the failed war on drugs is the resentment it causes toward our government in the hearts of many, like myself. I was arrested for possesion of < 1/2 oz of MJ and went through the system of jail, fines, probation, community service, piss tests, mandatory drug classes at my expense, etc. I break no other laws and have never been arrested before. Prior to my arrest i was a fairly patriotic and would have been willing to take the government at their word. Now i almost view the government as my enemy because they are openly and proudly waging war against me and good people like me, at our expense.
Will the decrim. in Mexico cause the collapse of the nite-club business on the U.S side of the border towns
The Mexican government should legalize, tax, and regulate all drugs. If the government started selling drugs to consumers, through the pharmacies they could fund local police, from tax revenue, and at least offer these officers the monaterry option, of not having to be under controll of the cartels. Mexico could also take advantage of increased tourism, which is now almost non-existant. California’s, Texan’s, and Arizonian’s would flood the border towns, and gladly hand over their greenbacks. In the long run this would help to weaken the cartels, but they will never go away. All the new border guards that the Untied States recently trained and implimented, to check people coming into Mexico, will soon find themselves at the mercies of the cartels. When someone sticks a gun to your wife’s head or kidnaps your daughter; your perspctive changes as to what is important. Let’s face it these new border guards are all Mexican nationals that live in Mexico. They don’t have a choice over there. Just say no over there means you just wrote off all the people, that are close to you. Unfortanetly as long as the United States continues the war on drugs the cartels will have unlimited power and wealth.
U.S. agents recruit Mexican drug figures, cause friction among agencies
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32576736/ns/world_news-washington_post/
I think its unethical for federal anti-narcotics agents to have brought Mexican cartel members north of the border. They arranged for visa’s for cartel members so that they could live in the United States.
I realize that the use of ‘informants’ is a practice law enforcement uses, but its just more wasteful spending of tax payers money to put these VIOLENT criminals on the government payroll against NON-violent ” crime ” users of medical marijuana or for small amounts for personal use.
Stevo, welcome to the land of the free and the opressed.
LEGALIZE MARIJUANA NOW!
This law in Mexico will only create more problems in the black market. Decriminalization if the most idiotic set of laws man ever thought.
Laws against marijuana and all its uses are unjust, unethical, and down right ignorant. Obama is too afraid to realize this is an economic issue. Having a marijuana conviction will go with you everywhere you go in life… some just never get caught and make it to the White House.
Marcus, yes it is true a conviction stays with you. I am proud of my conviction. I did not go uot and get in trouble. I was turned in by my ex wife because she wanted to get the kids taken away from me. I still have the kids. Every cop in town knows I smoke weed. I live in a very small town of 2ooo people and the raid at my house is known throughout. Every day i wear pro pot and legalize shirts. I am not going to stop. Now I am known as an activist. I love my kids with all my heart and I tell them the truth about marijuana. I just wish the politions could tell the truth. I did not finish high school aver 30 years ago or I would be a PRO MARIJUANA politition.
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