Views From the Frontline: Drug Policy in Mexico (original) (raw)

America's Failed War on Drugs and Implications for Mexico

U.S. America's aggressive drug enforcement policy, costing over US$1 trillion and putting millions of people in prison for casual drug use, is an abject failure. By regulating drug use rather than criminalizing it, per capita recreational drug use in the United States would be the same or even lower than it currently is, safer for consumers, and far less costly to society in terms of socioeconomic harm. This failed policy has not only affected U.S. society in such a harmful way that it almost cannot be overstated, but it has also resulted in quite needless drug cartel violence in Mexico and other countries. Included here is a pragmatic suggestion for reform of U.S. drug policy.

Mexico's War on Drugs as a Policy of Social Reorganization

Debates Indígenas, 2022

Despite its biodiversity, cultural richness and strategic geographic location, the "war on drugs" has stained Mexico's streets with violence. The normalization of violence is exacerbated by the penetration of drug cartels into State structures. The conflict particularly affects Indigenous communities who suffer criminalization by police and military, as well as from forced displacement due to encroachment on their territories. By Ana Esther Ceceña and David Barrios.

Mexico’s “ley de narcomenudeo” drug policy reform and the international drug control regime

Harm Reduction Journal, 2014

It has been over half a century since the landmark Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was adopted, for the first time unifying international drug policy under a single treaty aimed at limiting use, manufacture, trade, possession, and trafficking of opiates, cannabis, and other narcotics. Since then, other international drug policy measures have been adopted, largely emphasizing enforcement-based approaches to reducing drug supply and use. Recently, in response to concerns that the historic focus on criminalization and enforcement has had limited effectiveness, international drug policies have begun to undergo a paradigm shift as countries seek to enact their own reforms to partially depenalize or deregulate personal drug use and possession. This includes Mexico, which in 2009 enacted national drug policy reform partially decriminalizing possession of small quantities of narcotics for personal consumption while also requiring drug treatment for repeat offenders. As countries move forward with their own reform models, critical assessment of their legal compatibility and effectiveness is necessary. In this commentary we conduct a critical assessment of the compatibility of Mexico's reform policy to the international drug policy regime and describe its role in the current evolving drug policy environment. We argue that Mexico's reform is consistent with flexibilities allowed under international drug treaty instruments and related commentaries. We also advocate that drug policy reforms and future governance efforts should be based on empirical evidence, emphasize harm reduction practices, and integrate evidence-based evaluation and implementation of drug reform measures.

LABATE; CAVNAR; RODRIGUES Drug Policies and the Politics of Drugs in the Americas (EXCERPT)

The book you have now in your hands is, in a way, a continuation and an extension of one that Beatriz Caiuby Labate and Thiago Rodrigues edited in Mexico, called Drogas, Política y Sociedad en América Latina y el Caribe [Drugs, Politics and Society in Latin America and the Caribbean] (CIDE 2015). In that book, we gathered authors from more than 16 countries with the same invitation: summarize the history of drug policies in their countries from the initial era until the present day. Now, in this book, the general proposal is similar: an invitation for local researchers to analyze the drug policy histories in their own countries. Both in the previous book and in the present one, we started prospecting for researchers; it was only possible to find a few recent examples of works in which experts from their own countries could offer contributions to compose a broader picture of the drug prohibition history in our region . In this collection, we decided to focus on the current changes taking place in the region, and on the pioneering role of some Latin American countries in changing paradigms of international drug policy. We stress various contemporary experiences facing drug illegality in order to present a picture of multiple and heterodox propositions that go from specific proposals for legalization or decriminalization of personal use to the relationship between certain levels of revamps and the maintenance of high degrees of repression.

Mexico's Drug-Related Violence

2009

This report examines the causes for the escalation of the violence in Mexico. It provides a brief overview of Mexico's counterdrug efforts, a description of the major drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), the causes and trends in the violence, the Calderon government's efforts to crackdown on the DTOs, and the objectives and implementation of the Merida Initiative and other measures the U.S. government has taken to support Mexico in its battle with the drug traffickers.

Drug Policies and the Politics of Drugs in the Americas

This book is a collection of studies of drug policies in several Latin American countries. The chapters analyze the specific histories of drug policies in each country, as well as related phenomena and case studies throughout the region. It presents conceptual reflections on the origins of prohibition and the “War on Drugs,” including the topic of human rights and cognitive freedom. Further, the collection reflects on the pioneering role of some Latin American countries in changing paradigms of international drug policy. Each case study provides an analysis of where each state is now in terms of policy reform within the context of its history and current socio-political circumstances. Concurrently, local movements, initiatives, and backlash against the reformist debate within the hemisphere are examined. The recent changes regarding the regulation of marijuana in the United States and their possible impact on Latin America are also addressed. This work is an important, up-to-date and well-researched reference for all who are interested in drug policy from a Latin American perspective.

Seminar Paper: Investigating the Consequences of the War on Drugs in Mexico

Drug cartels have been a defining factor in Mexican history for the past century. The ongoing violence, which has been spiraling out of control since the early 2000s, has caused a high number of casualties. In recent times, the conflict is increasingly fought between the cartels and the state itself. The dimensions of the conflict that Mexico is experiencing resemble those known from war. Despite a substantial body of literature concerned with Mexican cartels, the exact consequences of their battles on the structure of the Mexican state have yet to be researched. This paper therefore applies bellicist theory to investigate whether Mexico has reacted to the increasing violence targeting the state itself by building up stronger state capacity. For this purpose, a regression analysis is conducted to examine the influence of the conflict between the cartels and Mexican forces on public investments in various municipalities. The analysis reveals a strong negative influence of cartel violence on local investments. Municipalities that witnessed battles between state forces and the cartels received, on average, fewer investments in the following year. These results point to a concerning consequence of the current conflict.

A short commentary on the Mexican drug war

In 1971, President Nixon declared drug abuse “public enemy #1.” In 1993, the Colombian National Police (CNP) and the U.S, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) killed the notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar. The Colombian government declared victory over the drug war, and some United States citizens believed the battle was over. One month prior to this event, North American leaders made a critical mistake through the birth of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Orphaned children and teenagers continually search for a sense of purpose, and they find that purpose in the cartels. American border policy and increased police presence only added to the violence on both sides of the border. These influences, along with others discussed in this article, created an even larger drug problem. Today, the majority of marijuana entering the United States comes directly through Mexico, and the media no longer talks about Colombia, Panama, or other importers. The drug war did not end with the Cali and Medellin cartels in Central America. It moved north, closer to the U.S. border. The news frequently highlights extortion, police corruption, mass killings, and the assassination of government officials in Mexico. This article will examine the causes of these atrocities, as well as possible solutions using perspectives from sociology, psychology, economics, politics, and criminology. Keywords: Mexico, drug war, prohibition, cartels, NAFTA, human rights, education, law enforcement.

Harm Reduction Model in Mexico's Drug Policy

Anuario Latinoamericano Ciencias Políticas y Relaciones Internacionales, 2021

Harm reduction is an approach in drug policy based on health issues and human rights. The aim of this article is to present the essence of the harm reduction model, as well as its implementation in Mexico after the year 2006. The study is an attempt to answer the following research questions: firstly, what is the scale of psychoactive drugs consumption in Mexico-and what goes with it-its negative health implications; secondly, to what extent does the Mexican drug policy takes account of aspects related to public health? This analysis proves that Mexico lacks a comprehensive harm reduction strategy and the main role in implementing this model is played by civil society organizations.