Legalization: Marijuana legalization in Mexico gaining support

This article, from the Dallas Morning News, on the growing debate in Mexico over drug legalization includes responses by David Shirk, director of the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego and, on the other side of the question, Gail Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy 

Marijuana legalization in Mexico gaining support : "Law professor Alejandro Madrazo Lajous ... is the attorney for an organization at the forefront of the growing legalization movement in Mexico, (and) one of its most ardent advocates. 'Seeing the destruction of my country because of the war on drugs, I began to realize the importance of debating the idea,' said Madrazo,  ... an attorney for the Collective for an Integral Policy on Drugs. ....

David Shirk: "It would be very difficult for Mexico to legalize when its northern neighbor, the most powerful country in the world, is against legalization. Mexico could not do that unilaterally without provoking a very strong political reaction from the United States. ... I don't think that marijuana legalization will be a panacea on drug violence in Mexico, but legalization could change the nature of the fight. Drugs are so much more profitable than any other form of illicit activity. You take away that profitability, and you cripple the organizations' ability to corrupt the state.""

Gail Kerlikowske: Take marijuana out of the equation and "all the things they are involved in, all these incredibly horrible crimes, of which narcotics is only a part, would still go on. Calderón has been very firm, and very strict, on his opposition to legalizing drugs."" August 10, 2010, Dallas Morning News. 


AMB editor's comment re. Kerlikowske's statement: How does the fact that the cartels commit crimes other than drug trafficking justify continuing the war on drugs? If drug trade and use were made legal, the U.S. would be removed from being engaged in a militarized war in Mexico, the cartels would lose billions of dollars a year and the government of Mexico would be left to deal with the issues of crime, public security and corruption, which, along with poverty and lack of jobs, are the real issues in Mexico. (See today's post on the Federal Police fighting among themselves over corruption charges.) Through the Merida Initiative, the U.S. is already providing significant support to the Mexican government to address issues in its criminal justice system. Freeing up monies from the drug war would enable the U.S. to provide even more such aid if it so desired.