Nathan P. Jones

Optimal marijuana regulation

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The legalization of cannabis — marijuana — in Colorado and Washington has shifted the marijuana debate away from whether or not marijuana policy should change toward what that change should be. Our goal is not to increase marijuana use, but to take control of the supply away from criminals. Prohibition has failed to end marijuana use and has enriched organized crime, along with a host of other negative social consequences. We can imagine a government monopoly in which state-controlled stores would dispense marijuana in a tightly regulated system that would likely curtail marijuana use through the control of advertising, taxation and other regulations. While attractive to some, this arrangement is rarely discussed and is out of sync with the country’s general political tendency toward private enterprise. Continue Reading →

How Mexico’s drug policies are (or are not) changing

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In a recent Small Wars Journal op-ed, Nathan Jones, the Baker Institute’s Alfred C. Glassell III Postdoctoral Fellow in Drug Policy, presents an overview of Mexico’s drug policies as the country transitions to new leadership under President Enrique Peña Nieto. While the new administration is touting proposed security reforms to combat violent drug cartels, Jones notes that there are more similarities than differences with the policies of former President Felipe Calderon. Continue Reading →

Potential impact on Mexico of U.S. marijuana initiatives

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In the short-term, these initiatives will probably not have a large impact, though over the long-term the effects could significantly weaken Mexico’s cartels. Colorado’s initiative will not go into effect for more than a year because the regulatory framework must be adopted by the state by July 1, 2013, and only in October 2013 can licenses to sell be distributed. On the other hand, Washington’s law goes into effect in January 2013, but it is a more geographically isolated state; it would be easier to drive from Colorado to many other states to distribute Colorado marijuana. This process, which is likely and assumed in IMCO’s report, is the market mechanism that could reduce Mexican cartel profits. Continue Reading →

Eliminate root causes of violence to “manage” drug cartels

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Kingpin strategies have become one of the most hotly debated tactics in the “war on drugs” and the “global war on terrorism.” Kingpin decapitations, or strikes as they are often called, disrupt illicit networks — but create instability and therefore unintended consequences such as increased homicide and kidnap rates. Additionally, illicit networks adapt to the strategy and restructure themselves accordingly. While kingpin strategies can fragment cartels, the root causes of drug prohibition and weak state capacity must be addressed in tandem to effectively manage organized crime networks in Latin America. Continue Reading →

The use of symbolic violence in Mexico’s drug war

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Extreme and symbolic violence has become a form communication in the context of weak Mexican state capacity and the presence of powerful organized crime groups. It is important not to exaggerate the use of symbolic violence in the Mexican “drug war,” as it can lead to false understandings. Before explaining how extreme violence is used in the context of Mexico, we must first understand Mexican drug violence in comparative and historical context. Continue Reading →

Gulf cartel will likely survive arrest of high-level leaders

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The history of major arrests of Mexican drug “cartel” leaders during the administration of President Felipe Calderón (2006-December 2012) indicates that despite important apprehensions, many Mexican organized crime groups prove resilient. Thus, the arrests this week by Mexico’s Marines of two long-time high-level leaders of the Gulf cartel are not likely to decimate the organization. Continue Reading →