Mexican Ambassador: Ending Marijuana Prohibition "Needs to Be Taken Seriously"

In yet another sign that the debate on fundamentally shifting our marijuana policy has reached critical mass, a remarkable exchange occurred on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday. In a discussion of violent Mexican drug gangs with Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., host Bob Schieffer asked, "What if marijuana were legalized? Would that change this situation?"

Rather than giving the standard official response that any such discussion was absurd, Ambassador Sarukhan seemed to be walking a very delicate path, acknowledging strong feelings on both sides of the argument but pointedly not dismissing the idea, saying, "This is a debate that needs to be taken seriously." Watch the full exchange here.