Mexican President Felipe Calderon must have missed at least two points when he says that the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in two U.S. states limits that country’s “moral authority” to ask other nations to combat or restrict illegal drug trafficking. Furthermore, he states that the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado represents a fundamental change that requires the rethinking of public policy in the entire Western Hemisphere.

#1. The U.S. Administration has NOT acknowledged the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado. Before heading for the 6th Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia in April, where some Latin American leaders pushed for legalization of production and consumption of drugs, U.S. President Barack Obama made it clear that he rejects the idea of decriminalizing drugs. Speaking in Cartagena, President Obama said that he believes legalizing narcotics could lead to even greater problems in those countries hardest hit by trafficking and violence.

#2. Calderon devotes himself to wishful thinking if he seriously thinks that what happened in Washington and Colorado requires rethinking of public policy in the entire Western Hemisphere. On the contrary, what happened in Washington and Colorado requires a massive campaign to make people understand that “freedom” to use drugs might in fact be a stepping stone to devastating consequences for individuals as well as societies in the entire Western Hemisphere

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