Guns and marijuana: Is the U.S. a danger to Mexico?

TRUMP: THEY’RE BRINGING DRUGS, THEY’RE BRINGING CRIME, THEY’RE RAPISTS.

LONGWORTH: WE’VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE. THE ALLEGED DANGERS AND THREATS TO THE US FROM MEXICO—FROM GUN VIOLENCE TO DRUGS.

BUT WHAT IF IT WERE THE OTHER WAY AROUND?

THAT’S WHAT THE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRY SAYS IS HAPPENING.

LET ME EXPLAIN.

SMITH AND WESSON, BERETTA, COLT, GLOCK, RUGER, CENTURY ARMS, BARRETT—ALL AMERICAN GUN MANUFACTURERS.

AND NOW, ALL TARGETS OF A LAWSUIT BY MEXICO.

IN THAT LAWSUIT, MEXICO SAYS AMERICAN GUNMAKERS ARE TO BLAME FOR DRUG CARTEL ATTACKS AND OTHER VIOLENCE.

I’M TALKING ABOUT CRIMES LIKE THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF A MEXICO CITY POLICE CHIEF, AND THE MURDER OF A POPULAR MEXICAN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST.

THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT SAYS, IN THE SUIT, THAT ALMOST ALL GUNS RECOVERED AT CRIME SCENES IN MEXICO—70% TO 90% OF THEM—WERE TRAFFICKED FROM THE U.S.

AND 200-THOUSAND GUNS ARE ILLEGALLY TRAFFICKED INTO MEXICO EACH YEAR, ACCORDING TO A UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO STUDY. 

THE LEGAL ADVISER OF MEXICO’S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ALEJANDRO CELORIO ALCANTARA, TIES THE ILLEGAL GUNS–AND THE INJURIES THEY CAUSE–BACK TO US GUN MANUFACTURERS IN A LETTER TO THE WASHINGTON POST.

HE POINTS OUT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO REAL-TIME SALES DATA THAT RAISES RED FLAGS. DATA THAT SUGGESTS THE GUNS ARE BEING SOLD TO SO-CALLED STRAW PURCHASERS—PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEGAL GUN LICENSES, BUT THEN WHO TURN AROUND AND SELL THEM TO RINGS OF GUN-TRAFFICKERS.

LONGWORTH: WHILE THE MANUFACTURERS HAVEN’T RESPONDED TO THE SUIT, THE NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORT FOUNDATION HAS.

LAWRENCE KEANE: WHAT IS GOING ON IN MEXICO IS REALLY A TRAGEDY. BUT IT IS WRONG FOR THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO BLAME LAW-ABIDING MANUFACTURERS IN THE US COURTROOM FOR WHAT IS GOING ON IN MEXICO, WHICH REALLY IS THE INABILITY OR UNWILLINGNESS OR FAILURE, OR A COMBINATION OF MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE CARTELS AND TO BRING THEM TO JUSTICE IN A MEXICAN COURTROOM.

AND GUNS AREN’T THE ONLY THING MAKING THEIR WAY FROM THE US INTO MEXICO.

THE DEA STARTED NOTICING MARIJUANA GROWN LEGALLY IN THE US WAS STARTING TO STREAM INTO MEXICO, AND NEWS REPORTS HAVE FOUND THE SMUGGLING’S ONLY GOTTEN WORSE.

ALL THIS, AS A 2020 DEA REPORT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT MARIJUANA SEIZURES FROM MEXICO ALONG THE SOUTHWEST BORDER HAVE DROPPED ABOUT 80 PERCENT SINCE 2013.

SO WHAT’S HAPPENED TO DRIVE THAT CHANGE?

WELL, STATE REGULATIONS HAVE LOOSENED, WHILE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT HAS IMPROVED IN THE U.S.

THE DEA REPORT SAYS, EVENTUALLY, MEXICAN-GROWN POT MAY INCREASE IN QUALITY TO COMPETE WITH DOMESTIC-PRODUCED MARIJUANA.

BUT, RAUL ELIZALDE, CEO OF MEXICO-BASED HEMPMEDS SAYS IT’S SIMPLY NOT THERE YET.

RAUL ELIZALDE: IN MEXICO, YOU COULD NOT FIND, OR IT’S HARDER TO FIND THAT QUALITY THAT YOU COULD FIND IN UNITED STATES. SO YES, THE QUALITY, IT’S A BIG DIFFERENCE. IT’S MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN THE PEOPLE WANT TO BUY PRODUCTS.

LONGWORTH: ELIZALDE EXPLAINS THAT, UNTIL THE MARIJUANA MARKET IS LEGAL IN MEXICO, THERE WON’T BE ANY SERIOUS COMPETITION.

ELIZALDE: THAT’S WHY IN UNITED STATES, IT’S BETTER QUALITY, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE COMPETING IN THE LEGAL MARKET TO HAVE THE BEST PRODUCT AVAILABLE FOR THEIR CONSUMERS.

LONGWORTH: SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? WITH THE INCREASE OF GUNS AND MARIJUANA GOING SOUTH, IS THE U.S. A DANGER TO MEXICO?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS AND DON’T FORGET TO HIT THE STRAIGHT ARROW BIAS METER.