Former Mexican President Vicente Fox praised the Washington State business man, Jamen Shively, for trying to create the first national brand of marijuana in the United States.
While acknowledging the Washington State entrepreneur's vision, the former Mexican president said Thursday that the U.S. States of Washington and Colorado are currently spearheading a move to legalize marijuana trade in the regions
Referring to the deadly drug violence that has desolated America's southern neighbor, Mexico, Vicente Fox said that this initiative is highly welcomed by the Mexicans.
"In Mexico we welcome this initiative, because the cost of the war in the case of Mexico is becoming unbearable," said Fox who had been the head of Mexico from 2000 to 2006.
Fox said that the cost of pot criminalization was "too high for Mexico, Latin America and the rest of the world" as well.
"All this because our neighbor to the north represents such a gigantic consumer market. We must get out of this trap, and here is the opportunity," he said, praising the entrepreneur's drive to build a nationwide legal market for marijuana in the U.S.
Felipe Calderon who replaced Fox deployed 50,000 troops in the border areas to fight against the cartels in the country and more than 70,000 people lost their lives in the fight during the Calderon administration.
In a bid to legalize the drugs, the former Microsoft executive Jamen Shively, said that "illegal cannabis" business had become a tool for violence. "By making cannabis illegal we have ... turned it into a tool for violence, exploited by criminals and organized crime, spanning many countries," said Jamen Shively while speaking to the reporters on Thursday.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a unique moment in history. The Berlin Wall of the prohibition of cannabis ... is weak, and it is crumbling as we speak," said Shively hinting that legalizing the drug is the only way to end the ongoing violence and exploitation.
