Guatemala's President Otto Perez Molina is fed up with the United States' inability to control its drug consumption, and he feels like he has no other choice but to consider the legalization of the drug trade. He wants a consensus in the region before going forward with the idea, and so far, El Salvador President Mauricio Funes is on board with the idea.

In a region of the world overrun by organized crime and violence, Molina believes that legalizing the consumption and transportation of drugs would bring back some stability and security.

Many critics say that the threat of legalization is a political maneuver by Pres. Molina to a long US ban on military aid, and that he is trying to get it back. But one of his political advisors maintains that Guatemala simply doesn't have the resources to fight the drug trade and its heavily financed, highly-resourced cartels.

Unsurprisingly, the US is criticizing the idea of legalization, and I would have to agree that it would not stop the transnational drug trade (which in addition to drugs also moves weapons and people), and I have absolutely no tolerance for the exploitation and trafficking of human beings.

But I do understand why Pres. Molina feels he has no other choice. The current tactic to counter the drug trade isn't working, and the cartels are backed by millions of dollars coming in from all over the world. If drugs were to be legalized, they could be taxed at high levels and ideally the industry would be regulated and fall out of the hands of criminals.

If it were to become a reality in Central America, would the impact of legalization drastically affect Canada?

I'd have to say that the exploitation of people would continue outside of the region and in Canada (i.e. smugglers). What I think would be more productive is if Canadians focused on decreasing demand. What we fail to realize is that our drug consumption is what is fueling these violent wars to our south. It's up to us to lessen the demand for narcotics, and one of the best ways to do so might just be through decriminalization.

As proven with Portugal, decriminalization of personal drug possession doesn't result in an increase in drug consumption. Rather it appears to do just the opposite. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all narcotics. Since then, individuals caught possessing small amounts of drugs are sent to a panel consisting of a legal worker, social worker and a psychologist to determine a course of treatment instead of prison. So far, the policy seems to be working as the number of illegal drug use amongst teens in the country has fallen dramatically and the number of those seeking therapy has more than doubled. The Portuguese government appears to be able to manage and control its drug problem better than any other Western country, and cartels or addicts looking for a go-to drug destination haven't overrun the country.

I think that if we in North America really have an interest in fighting the violence and harm that comes with the illegal drug trade, it's time for us to consider some new options, and it seems that President Molina's very loud threat might just be the shake up that we need.