Legalization of Marijuana in the Case Study

" Moreover, instead of spending billions of dollars on fighting the war, the Mexican government could channel this money -- which is significant for the Mexican economy -- into meeting the population's social needs, thus decreasing the incentives for Mexico's youth to resort to crime.

Prohibition of marijuana, one might even argue, is the lead cause of violence in Mexico. It is the prohibition that drives the drug market to the underground. In the underground world, the disputes between buyers and sellers cannot be resolved through legal means such as lawsuits and arbitration. So, they are often resolved through violence. When the United States banned alcohol during Prohibition in 1930s, the level of violence increased but as soon as the ban was lifted, the level of crime and violence dropped to the pre-Prohibition levels. As Miron points out, [v]iolence is the norm in illicit gambling but not in legal ones. Violence is routine when prostitution is banned but not when it's permitted. Violence results from policies that create black markets, not from the characteristics of the good or activity in question." It is no surprise then that the unleashing of military offensive by the Mexican government in 2006 drastically increased the crime rates in the country.

Prohibition of marijuana leads to the increase of violence in different ways. The underground drug market corrupts politicians and law enforcement agencies. Since the business is a lucrative one, many officials become corrupt because of fear of punishment at the hands of drug cartels for trying to prosecute them or decide to live a calm life by profiting from the illicit business.The drug war policies necessarily lead to draconian policies that penalize the criminals and suspects too harshly. Both the harsh punishments and the inability of the law enforcement agencies to end the illicit drug trade breed disrespect for law among the public. In the case of Marijuana, which may often be used in medical purposes, the prohibition also breeds contempt for the law. All in all, these consequences increase the level of violence.

While it would be desirable for all U.S. states to lift the ban on marijuana, legalization of the drug in California would especially be helpful in easing and ending the Mexican drug wars. Mexico is intricately tied to California through trade, while a great number of Californians are of Mexican origin and a great number of American visitors to Mexico are Californians. The illicit drug trade is also tied to Mexican-Californian economic and cultural relations. Legalizing marijuana in California would induce the Mexican government to follow suit (Carmin and Castenada). And the legalization and regulation of the drug industry will decrease the level of violence both in Mexico and California.

Works Cited

Camin, Hector Aguilar and Jorge G. Castenada. "California's Prop 19, on Legalizing Marijuana, Could End Mexico's Drug War." Washington Post. 5 September 2010. Web. 3 May 2011.

Forsyth, Jim. "U.S. Should Legalize Drugs, Says Former Mexican President Fox." Reuters. 3 May 2011. Web. 3 May 2011.

Johnson, Gary. "Legalize Marijuana to Stop the Drug Cartels."….....