The violence and chaos in Mexico will not be solved easily or quickly but this week Mexico City considers legalizing marijuana, partially. It’s unclear what this change in policy would do to curb the drug war violence and to improve the economy but many speculate it could help significantly, if wide reforms were made in drug policy. Currently, carrying a small amount of marijuana is legal in Mexico City but this new law would make it legal to carry just over an ounce of weed. Aspects of drug reform in other countries include the legalizing of growing and selling marijuana but those aspects have not been proposed in Mexico city yet.
This policy change is being proposed in order to curb some of the violence in Mexico but Mexican Drug War violence is so widespread and ingrained in Mexico it is hard to imagine this law having much of an effect. Perhaps if there is a total drug reform in Mexico, making all aspects of the drug trade legal and transparent it would go further in preventing drug cartel violence. This would be a long and uphill struggle but may be the only solution to the growing number of drug war deaths and violence. Though cartel’s primary source of income is drug trafficking things like human trafficking, prostitution and smuggling arms are also huge aspects of their business, which may also be curbed with progressive drug laws. Legalizing drugs in Mexico, perhaps more than marijuana, though other drugs are not being discussed right now, would most likely make it harder for drug cartels to do their business, as most citizens would prefer legal avenues to buy weed over illegal. It would also lower the cost of drugs, therefore giving less incentives for people to work in the illegal drug business. In order for this law to be successful against the drug war, it will need to slowly integrate the current illegal drug avenues into legal business, allowing for transparency and cooperation. There is no way to know for sure if marijuana legalization would go far in helping curb drug war violence but at this point, in the chaos the drug war has caused, people are working towards anything that will help.
1. A push in Mexico City to legalize marijuana use. Fernando Gómez Mont and Jorge G. Castañeda. Washington Post online. Retrieved 13 November, 2013 from http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-26/opinions/40864659_1_marijuana-use-mexico-city-colorado-and-washington-state
It seems that although this particular law won't do much in curbing violence and crime it is a step in the right direction as the only solution seems to be complete legal reform.
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