The recent transformational patterns of the illicit drug trafficking can be characterised. They are: 1) The increasing globalization of drug consumption;
2) The limited or “partial victories” and unintended consequences of the U.S.-led ‘War on Drugs’;
3) The proliferation of areas of drug cultivation and of drug smuggling routes throughout …show more content…
population did not consume such large quantities of illegal drugs - if there were not so many American drug addicts and users—then Latin American and Caribbean countries would not produce large quantities of illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and heroin for export and the region would not be plagued by the powerful and well-financed drug trafficking organizations – often called cartels – that have sprung up throughout the hemisphere over the last twenty five years . It is certainly accurate to claim that the United States has been for decades, and remains today, the largest single consumer market for illicit drugs on the planet. Although there is no definitive estimate, the value of all illicit drugs sold annually in the United States may reach as high as US $150 billion. Some $37 billion per year may be spent on cocaine …show more content…
First, even if such an initiative is ultimately approved in some states, there are likely to be challenges that could delay implementation of any such new state laws for years. Second, legalization of marijuana, if and when it ever occurs, will not address the issues – production, processing, trafficking and distribution – raised by criminal activity, violence and corruption spawned by traffic in harder drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines among other. Criminal gangs in Mexico and elsewhere in the hemisphere will most likely move away from marijuana to deeper involvement in the still-illegal drugs, organized crime and drug-related violence will