The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade by Benjamin T. Smith

This is a casual monthly book club in which we discuss a book we've read on a southwest history topic. In October, we'll discuss The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade
by Benjamin T. Smith, taking a darker look at the borderlands.

One more Saturday, then we'll be back to our regular weekday meetups!

Description:
A myth-busting, 100-year history of the Mexican drug trade that reveals how an industry founded by farmers and village healers became dominated by cartels and kingpins.
The Mexican drug trade has inspired prejudiced narratives of a war between north and south, white and brown; between noble cops and vicious kingpins, corrupt politicians and powerful cartels. In this first comprehensive history of the trade, historian Benjamin T. Smith tells the real story of how and why this one-peaceful industry turned violent. He uncovers its origins and explains how this illicit business essentially built modern Mexico, affecting everything from agriculture to medicine to economics―and the country’s all-important relationship with the United States.

Drawing on unprecedented archival research; leaked DEA, Mexican law enforcement, and cartel documents; and dozens of harrowing interviews, Smith tells a thrilling story brimming with vivid characters―from Ignacia “La Nacha” Jasso, “queen pin” of Ciudad Juárez, to Dr. Leopoldo Salazar Viniegra, the crusading physician who argued that marijuana was harmless and tried to decriminalize morphine, to Harry Anslinger, the Machiavellian founder of the American Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who drummed up racist drug panics to increase his budget. Smith also profiles everyday agricultural workers, whose stories reveal both the economic benefits and the human cost of the trade.

===

No food or drink is allowed in the room. Please no pets that aren't service animals. I'll get fined for any cleanup. Feel free to attend if you didn't finish the book!