LatinaLista — Earlier in the week, Latina Lista reported that Mexico was opening a debate regarding legalizing drugs to combat the growing drug violence in the country due to cartels competing for the U.S. market.
Now, comes official word from the U.S. government acknowledging the role American drug users play in today’s violence in Mexico.
Map showing the change in drug routes for delivery into the United States since 9/11.
Yet, it’s not the hard drugs of cocaine or heroin that is bankrolling Mexican drug violence, it’s those who like to get their high smoking weed.
In other words, marijuana is the “bread and butter” for Mexican drug cartels.
In a story in today’s The Dallas Morning News, John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said:
“The ability to have people purchase arms, corrupt institutions and pay assassins is fueled by the dollars of marijuana users in the United States, which is a huge, huge part of the detonator of crime and terror you’re seeing across Mexico, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Unfortunately, there are no signs of marijuana usage abating in this country.
Only this morning, People magazine’s web site reported that pop singer Aaron Carter was arrested for marijuana possession in Texas.
In a market analysis of how much revenue Mexican drug trafficking organizations earned in 2004-2005 from selling various drugs to U.S. users, it was found that marijuana netted the most money — and we’re not talking pesos here.
Mexican drug cartels grossed $8.6 billion with marijuana sales alone. The next highest drug-in-demand is cocaine which netted $3.9 billion.
This first-time analysis lends credence to the movement in the United States to legalize marijuana.
While those who are against it will trot out studies done on how the drug damages the brain and impairs judgment, the same can be said of another addictive substance that was reinstated after a time in our history that experienced the same kind of crime wave Mexico is now undergoing — alcohol.
What we, as a nation, learned after legalizing alcohol sales was that, ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own choices.
If legalizing marijuana can reduce the bloodshed and violence in Mexico, keep our jails free for the murderers, rapists and true terrorists of this country and provide medical relief to the terminally ill who must now weigh whether or not they risk going to jail versus improving the quality of the remainder of their lives, then why shouldn’t marijuana be legalized?
Yet, legalization of marijuana won’t be passed as long as there are self-righteous people in charge who feel it’s their divine duty to stand in judgement of others.
Even God blessed us all with Free Will.
Isn’t it time the U.S. government did too?
Comment(5)
Texano78704
It is way past time to stop scapegoating Marijuana and Marijuana users. I believe that the stats will show that US law enforcement made more Marijuana related arrests than it did for violent crime.
That is a tremendous waste of resources for a drug that is less dangerous than the drug alcohol.
I think it is pretty amazing that the state legislature passed a bill that allows local police to treat Marijuana possession like a speeding ticket. In practice, Travis county is the only place to actually implement this. The state legislature needs to take it a step further and mandate it.
yave begnet
I didn’t know Texas was so far ahead of the game. Good for them.
This might have been noted in the previous post about marijuana legalization–I don’t recall–but it’s also worth pointing out that anything more than a single instance of possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana is enough to get noncitizens deported. This is not a productive use of law enforcement.
EYES OF TEXAS
Not for sure, but I think I heard somewhere that Obama is for legalization of marijuana. If it is factual it could either gain him some votes or lose him some votes. It more than likely goes back to his experiences as a youth when he did drugs. So, if all the pro-legalization folks could get enough motivation, remember which day to vote and be able to find a voting booth, it could gain Obama a few more votes. Don’t get me wrong, I am not supporting Obama or Hillary. Just thought I would pass this along.
mike johnson Myrtle Beach/SC
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wake up ‘sheeples’
then if Obama said this, he is right on,
EndTheProhibition
The problem is the prohibition.
It is repugnant for the ONDCP to suggest that marijuana consumers are responsible for the violence in Mexico when it is the ONDCP’s own actions that have single-handedly created the situation.
Declaring marijuana prohibited can’t eliminate its demand, how could it? All it does is shift the supply side of the marijuana market out of the hands of honest businessmen and into the hands of criminal organizations.
Legalize marijuana and the violence in Mexico will immediately cease!!
John Walters and every legislator who supports the prohibition should be brought to trial for the lives their actions have cost. John Walters and his supporters are solely responsible for the violence, for them to suggest otherwise is a straight-up, bold-face lie.
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