Looking at the fiasco of the United States direct military operation in 2006, it became clear that a new strategy was necessary to combat the well equipped drug cartels. The Merida Initiative is so successful because it aims to assist Mexico’s government and cut off some of the power of the cartels, with the least amount of casualties as possible. President Obama has stated that: “We share with Mexico responsibility for meeting this challenge and we are committed to continuing our unprecedented cooperation in confronting these criminal organizations.” A key component of the Merida Initiative is the enhancement of Mexico’s government. Since the creation of the Merida Initiative, the United States and Mexico have trained more than 6,800 federal police officers, 4,300 prosecutors and justice sector personnel, and 2,000 corrections and penitentiary staff. This improvement in Mexico’s government is a far superior option compared to the direct involvement of the United States military force because it saves american lives, lays a foundation for Mexico’s government for the next several years, and it has been making a positive impact in Mexico, from the government to the town …show more content…
Uruguay President José Mujica’s proposed not just legalizing pot but turning the state into the sole supplier for all of South America, thereby replacing dealers while making billions annually for the government. A recent study from Time Magazine found that the since the legalization of cannabis in 2012 by Colorado and Washington State, United States agents have slowly confiscated less cannabis. 2.5 million pounds were confiscated in 2013 while 1.9 million pounds were confiscated in 2014, and the number dropped 32% in 2015. (Time) A reason why americans prefer buying their product from a legal tax-paying business as opposed to a black market is because the product is tested and regulated. The chairman of Marijuana Majority, Tom Angell stated that: “When you go to a legal store, you know what you are getting, and that is not going to be contaminated.” While there are statistics that show legalization may have some merit, the overwhelming negative effects that may come from the legalization of narcotics outweigh the pros. The legalization of cannabis may help reduce the power of cartels temporarily, but this will force the cartels to attempt to spread other narcotics to the United States such as heroin or cocaine. Unfortunately the legalization of drugs such as cocaine and heroine is far too