Legalization: New Study on Mexico’s Drug Cartels and the Global War on Drugs

From the libertarian Cato Institute

Cato @ Liberty: "To address the spikes in violence (in Mexico and Central America) and stem the flow of drugs, the United States has spent billions of dollars in Mexico and throughout Latin America. Sadly, there is little evidence that this policy has been successful, and the evidence mounts that it has been an outright failure.

A new policy is needed to stem the violence and consequences of the Mexican drug cartels pervasive power. In a new study released today, Ted Galen Carpenter, senior Cato fellow, argues that the only lasting, effective strategy for dealing with Mexico’s drug violence is to defund the Mexican drug cartels. “The United States could substantially defund these cartels,” says Carpenter, “through the full legalization (including manufacture and sale) of currently illegal drugs.” The new study, “Undermining Mexico’s Dangerous Drug Cartels,” is available here" read more