Marijuana is a psychoactive, mind-altering, drug produced by the Cannabis sativa plant. Cannabis sativa grows naturally in the wild throughout many tropical and humid parts of the world. Humans have utilized this versatile plant for thousands of years, without any death from overdose being reported (United States. Department of Justice). The Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have utilized cannabis and the first known written record of its use comes from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, dating back to 2727 B.C. (Cannabis, Coca, & Poppy: Nature's Addictive Plants). Cannabis has a variety of uses ranging from producing clothing and paper to treating nausea or epilepsy.  Cannabis is able to treat a wide variety of ailments because it contains over 100 cannabinoids (Is Marijuana Medicine?). Cannabinoids are natural chemicals, produced by the body and cannabis, that interact within the endocannabinoid system, a communication system throughout the brain and body that affects a range of functions, including how a person feels, moves, and reacts (The Science of the Endocannabinoid System: How THC Affects the Brain and the Body). The two main cannabinoids in cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and cannabidiol, or CBD. THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, can increase appetite and reduce nausea, pain, inflammation, and muscle control problems.  CBD does not affect the mind or behavior; it is useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and treating mental illness and addictions (Is Marijuana Medicine?).  However, marijuana is still a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act.  Schedule I substances, which also include heroin, MDMA, and bath salts, are considered to have a high potential for abuse and have no accepted medical use in the United States. The long history, potential medical benefits, and possible economic benefits of cannabis have many people wondering why it is illegal.  

Cannabis legalization in the United States could have a substantial impact on Mexican drug cartels. America has an extremely large demand for illegal drugs, a demand which is currently being filled by the Mexican cartels. Essentially, Americans are funding drug wars that create extreme amounts of violence when they buy illegal drugs. The Mexican government released data stating that there were over 164,000 homicides in Mexico between 2007 and 2014 (Breslow). By legalizing drugs, governments would remove the majority of the demand for black market narcotics, causing Mexican cartels to lose billions of dollars in annual revenue.  The money the cartels' possess is the catalyst that allows them to retain power; without money cartels will crumble. Mexico is one of the United States largest trading partners, as well as a bordering country.  Helping Mexico would be beneficial to the U.S. as well. Cannabis legalization in the United States would cause a decline in the problems associated with Mexican drug cartels.

Full scale legalization is a realistic outlook for the United States. Although the legalization of all drugs is unlikely to be safely achieved in the U.S. anytime soon, cannabis legalization is a possibility.  A Gallup poll released in October of 2015 shows that 58% of American adults support legal marijuana, a 7% increase from 2014.  The fact that a growing majority of Americans support legalization, as well as some states already legalizing cannabis within their borders, proves that legalization is possible in the United States. Since 1996, twenty-three states and Washington, D.C. have passed laws allowing for the use of medical cannabis (Marijuana Resource Center: State Laws Related to Marijuana). This means that programs to safely grow and distribute cannabis are already in place.  Although these programs would need to be adapted to accommodate for the increase in business with full scale legalization, they provide an effective model for future production and distribution systems.

Cannabis legalization would cause the cartel to lose vast sums of money.  Americans spend approximately $100 billion on illegal drugs every year, with about 40% of this being attributed to cannabis (Grillo).  Of this $40 billion spent on cannabis in the United States it is estimated that at least 80% is commercial grade, or low quality illegally grown cannabis. The vast majority of this lower quality cannabis believed to be imported from Mexico (Joffe-Block).  This means that even if cartels only account for half of the commercial grade cannabis used in the US, an extremely low estimate, they still generate approximately $16 billion in revenue annually.  This money can then be used to buy weapons, buy land to grow or produce more narcotics, bribe politicians or police, and maintain control in Mexico. Without the vast sums of money the cartel currently accumulates annually, they would not be able to function nearly as efficiently as they currently do.

Mexican cartels cannot compete with the quality of legally grown cannabis. The obstacles associated with growing illegally makes it extremely difficult for black market growers compete in terms of quantity, quality, and product diversity. Legal cannabis shops can offer customers a wide variety of lab-tested products, including the traditional flower or nug form, concentrates, edibles, and even drinks. According to the White House, illegal cannabis contains about 7% THC, whereas legal cannabis can contain up to about 30% THC (Wainwright, 228).  Even if cannabis sold illegally was 25 percent cheaper than that sold legally, it would still cost more per unit of THC.  This is because U.S. growers produce "gourmet products" instead of the lower quality marijuana that is typically grown in Mexico.  The price difference would only be increased with legalization.  A study that collected data relating to the price of marijuana from High Times magazine between 1990 and 2011 found that legalization was associated with a 10 to 26 percent decrease in the price of high quality cannabis (Anderson, 221-232). Federal legalization would cause an even greater decline in the price of high quality cannabis by allowing large scale farming, with tractors and unskilled workers, and by greatly increasing the supply of cannabis.  Simple economics show that as supply increases, the price of an item declines.  If Mexican cartels could not begin to match the quality of domestically grown cannabis or greatly reduce the price of their product, legalization could be devastating to them.

As the fictional drug lord Tony Montana once said, "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power."  Although this quote is from a fictional movie made in the 1980's, it still holds true today. Money is the root of power for a cartel. Money made by cartels is often used to bribe police and government officials.  In fact, it is estimated that Mexican cartels spend over a billion dollars a year bribing municipal police (Blackstone). This figure does not even account for the money spent bribing federal officials, only what is spent paying off local police. As seen with Mexico's former top anti-drug official, Noe Ramirez, federal officials can make vast sums of money from cartel bribes. In 2008, Ramirez was charged with providing drug cartels with information about investigations pertaining to them; his compensation for the information was reported to be $450,000 per month (Blackstone). Cartels are willing to pay even greater amounts to help their leaders maintain their freedom. Bribes can even be used as a get out of jail free card in Mexico. This was evident when boss of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, paid $3 million to escape from the maximum security prison where he was being held, Puente Grande, in 1993 (Blackstone).  The incredibly large sums of money cartels have accumulated and their willingness to use it for bribes has created a dangerous and corrupt political landscape in Mexico, as well as allowed the cartels to operate safely due to the knowledge and protection they receive.

There is a positive correlation between the amount of money a cartel has and the power of said cartel. Therefore by reducing the amount of money a cartel has, the power of the cartel is also reduced.  As previously stated, cartels generate billions of dollars annually through cannabis sales. Legalizing cannabis in the United States would greatly reduce cartel revenue, meaning it would become more difficult for cartels to bribe officials.  As the number of people being bribed by cartels decline, the amount of protection and information they receive will also decline, making it even more difficult for the cartel to operate. A cartel is simply a business organization, and any business would suffer tremendously if several billion dollars in revenue were suddenly lost.  Cannabis legalization would decrease both cartel power and corruption, while increasing the stability of the Mexican government.  

Legitimate business that are locked in combat must gain advantages legally, this is not the case in the drug trade.  Violent crime is often the solution to competition on the black market, and cartels are some of the most violent and ruthless organizations in existence. They are often willing to murder opposition in cold blood.  According to data released by the Mexican government, over 164,000 people were victims of homicide between 2007 and 2014 (Breslow). Although not all of these homicides can be attributed to cartels, they are known to be responsible for widespread violence in Mexico. The United States must begin to focus on the threat cartels have on homeland security.  A 2009 U.S. government report said that two important states bear consideration for a sudden and rapid collapse: Pakistan and Mexico (St. May). Mexico is so corrupt that its government could crumble at any moment, allowing drug cartels to gain compete control of Mexico. A collapse of the Mexican government could cause a wide array of issues in the United States.  Since 2007, the killings occurring in Mexico have steadily outpaced the number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq combined (Breslow). Considering the fact that there is currently a war occurring throughout Afghanistan and Iraq and "peace" in Mexico, this statistic becomes even more unbelievable. Mexican cartels have proven to be more violent than one of many Americans most feared enemies, terrorist organizations.  In 2009, the murder rate for drug-related homicides in Mexico exceeded the rate for all murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the United States, 6.1 versus 5.1 per 100,000 people respectively (Kilmer).  Not only is this sickening, it shows what could eventually occur in the United States if cartel power is not held in check. The United States shares a 2,000 mile border with Mexico and spends billions on illegal narcotics annually, making it an extremely desirable location for cartel expansion. The U.S. Department of Justice reported that Mexican drug cartels have gang members, which represent the largest threat to both citizens and law enforcement agencies in this country, in nearly 200 cities across the U.S. ranging from Los Angles to Baltimore (St. May). The Mexican drug war is already spilling over the border and into the United States. It is time for citizens and legislators to take action against cartels.  Cannabis legalization would limit this expansion by causing the cartels to lose a great deal of revenue, which would decrease their power, and in turn reduce the violence they cause.  

Even with all the potential benefits of full scale cannabis legalization in the United States, many people are still opposed.  Those opposed often argue that legalization could have a devastating effect on children, impair mental and physical abilities, increase addiction rates, and increase traffic accidents. Many even believe that the farming of cannabis could cause a great deal of environmental damage. While there are some studies that support these claims, there are equally as many studies that refute them.  For example, a joint study conducted Northwestern Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School showed that young adults aged 18 to 25 years old who used cannabis showed structural abnormalities in two brain regions which are important to emotion and motivation (Casual Marijuana Use Linked to Brain Abnormalities in Students).  However, the same study also states these results fit with animal studies, which show that when rats are given THC their brains rewire and form many new connections, meaning researchers may simply just be "seeing a type of drug learning in the brain".  Another report, which used data from national and state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys from between 1993 and 2011, found little evidence of any relationship between legalizing cannabis and its use among high school students (Anderson, 221-232).  This further disputes the claim that legalization puts children at an increased risk for use.  Many also argue that cannabis can cause mental issues, citing studies showing use during pregnancy can impeding the growth of the baby's brain (Cannabis During Pregnancy Endangers Fetal Brain Development). Although this may be true, the use of alcohol and tobacco, both of which are legal, also cause major issues in fetal development.  As with anything, excessive or irresponsible use can cause issues. Alcohol, a drug currently regulated in the US, is the third highest preventable cause of death in the United States. In comparison, there have been zero fatalities reported from marijuana use (Olives Thompson, 61).  This begs the question, why is alcohol legal but not cannabis?

Although cannabis legalization would have a devastating effect on Mexican cartels, that alone is not reason enough for full scale legalization.  There are a variety of other issues that must be taken into consideration, including how sales will be taxed, how grows will be regulated, and the distinction between medicinal and recreational cannabis.  The United States is currently at a cross roads.  Does it continue to allow states to decide if they want to legalize cannabis? Does the federal government step in and decide to uphold the current laws and crack down on marijuana sales? Or should cannabis use be legalized throughout the United States? Now is the time for citizens to decide.  If we continue down the current path where states decide the extent to which cannabis is legalized, when cannabis becomes completely legalized federally what will states without medical programs do?  A decision regarding the scope of cannabis legalization must be made soon to avoid creating unnecessary issues in the future.  Medical cannabis has proven to be effective for a variety of ailments, however many people abuse the current system.  During an interview I recently conducted with a medical marijuana patient, he had trouble recalling exactly what his medical card was for.  After remembering he was prescribed cannabis for anxiety and insomnia he said, "It [cannabis] definitely does help my anxiety and helps me sleep, but do I actually need it for those things? No. Is it just a cop out so I can smoke weed? 100%". By completely legalizing cannabis this abuse of the system could be stopped.  Medical programs would be made much stricter and harder to qualify for with complete legalization due to the fact sales would be regulated by the FDA. Regulation from the FDA would also make the products sold much safer because they would be subject to the same rigorous testing as other pharmaceuticals.  

Legalizing marijuana will never completely stop its illegal trade, just like moonshine is traded illegally.  As long as there is profit to be made in the illegal sale of narcotics cartels will exist.  These statements are simply just facts, but cannabis legalization would decrease black market cannabis sales while also decreasing the power of Mexican cartels.  Legal cannabis tends to be higher quality and less expensive than illegally grown cannabis, meaning those who consume cannabis would typically prefer legal products.  The recreational cannabis industry is thought to generate to approximately $40 billion annually, which is about the same as the recorded music industry (Wainwright). By legalizing cannabis this money can be generated by the government and used to fund education or healthcare instead of continuing to go to criminals. The less money cartels have, the harder it is for them to retain their power.  Legalization would cause a downward spiral for cartels, without money they cannot buy weapons, land to produce narcotics, or bribe officials, which makes them weaker.  Without the ability to bribe officials it becomes harder for cartels to operate, causing them to generate even less revenue and making operations increasingly more difficult.  Due to legalization causing cartels to lose money and power, there will be less drug related violence as well.  Humans have safely used cannabis since at least 2727 B.C. (Cannabis, Coca, & Poppy: Nature's Addictive Plants). The benefits of legalization clearly outweigh the negatives and 58% of American adults already support legalization. The facts show cannabis legalization in the United States would cause a decline in the problems associated with Mexican drug cartels. When will Americans finally accept the facts and end the prohibition on this plant?

