Dear Mr.President, 

 My name is Katie Butt. I live in Wisconsin and I go to school at Craig High School in Janesville. I am going to tell you all about drug cartels that are going on in the United States. If the U.S government payed more attention to the number or people that are dying I guarantee you that there would be a change in the number of people dying, the amount of money people spend, and less drug trafficking. Tree from Huffington Post quoted, "Things like cocaine, heroine, and marijuana these are minimally- processed agricultural commodities," Tree said. "They're easy to produce, these drugs. They're very cheap to produce. There's no reason they should be worth this kind of money that people are willing to kill, torture, and massacre (Greenhouse).

In 2013 there was a estimation of 24.6 million american citizens that are 12 or older, so 9.4 percent of the population or the U.S had used an illicit drug in the past month. The amount of illicit drugs being used has gone up 8.3% from being used by kids, adults, and even elderly in 2002. The most commonly used drug is Marijuana, and it is the cause of the number of illicit drug users to go up. Marijuana use has gone from 5.8% in 2007 to 7.5% in 2013. That might not seem like a lot but it went up 1.7%  and that is a big number ("Drug Facts Nationwide Trends"). 

In 2013 data recorded stated that average 570,000 people die from drug use and 20,000 for illicit drug use ("Drug fact chat day: Drug abuse"). To produce one kilo of raw opium sap in Mexico it is $1,500, but once it crosses the border it increases a giant amount to $50,000 on the other side. Drug trade has gone down with Mexico and the United States, and that is because the United States has made Marijuana legal (Winslow). Marijuana can be used for medical use and if the state you live in legalized or not legalized it. There are four states that legalized it for non medical, and 21 states use it for medical use, and the other states that do not use it for those reasons it is illegal. 

Sincerely, 

Katie butt 

 Greenhouse, Jarred. "How Americas War on Drugs Unintentionally Aids Mexican Drug Cartels."                                      Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/02/us-mexico-drug-cartel_n_7707136.html . July 2, 2015.

"Drug Facts Chat Day: Drug Abuse." National Instute on Drug Abuse For Teachers, https://teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week/drug-facts-chat-day-drug-abuse. November 7, 2015

"DrugFacts: Nationwide Trends." National Instute on Drug Abuse,                                                                                                  https://teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week/drug-facts-chat-day-drug-abuse . June 2015. 

 Winslow, Don. "Americas War on Drugs." CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/28/opinions/winslow-                        drug-war-folly/. June 28, 2015.