MEXICO'S PROBLEM MORE THAN MARIJUANA

We don't disagree with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's loosening
of restrictions on medical marijuana.

But the federal government should not move toward legalization of
marijuana, either the complete legalization or use as a prescription drug.

In a shift from the policy of former President
Bush's administration, Holder said the Justice Department would
target California's medical marijuana distributors only if they
violate both federal and state law. California's marijuana laws are
less strict than federal law.

Holder has drawn criticism, but he is not proposing legalization,
just practicality in utilizing limited resources that can be
directed toward more serious crimes.

In fact, others in law enforcement are suggesting the same thing.
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said in January that if
marijuana's distribution and use could be controlled, he could see
it reclassified a prescription drug.

Goddard said the impetus for his opinion was based on information
that 75 percent of the revenue of Mexican drug cartels comes from
the illegal sale of marijuana.

If that source of revenue could be denied the cartels, Goddard
reasoned, the cartels and the violence they spawn could be curtailed.

That may be true to some extent if Goddard's revenue estimate from
marijuana is true. However, a flood of support for Goddard's
estimate has not appeared since January.

And though Mexico's illegal drug and cartel problems certainly are
exacerbated by Americans' demand for marijuana, let's not forget a
bigger issue: Mexico's long history of political corruption.

Mexico has never been able to reign in its criminal element and that
criminal element frequently is part and parcel with its government.

Mexico will need support for its law enforcement and army, which the
United States has been offering in battling the cartels. But if
Mexico would clean up its political corruption, we could expect a
lesser degree of lawlessness and a higher degree of calm and
prosperity in Mexico.

But we oppose legalization.

If we think we have problems now with marijuana, the problems would
only grow with more and more people having uninhibited access to the drug.