Issues paper- American drug war

My topic for the issues paper is on the effects of international trade, specifically the influence it has on American culture.  I chose this topic because I believe it is a huge product in the global market that plays a big role on societies.  What effect does trading and consuming have on someone in another country?  One example would be marijuana that is traded between America and Mexico.  These are rough statistics but since 2006 an average of 60,000+ people have been killed in drug-related violence.  The Drug Cartels induce a sense of fear and violence wherever they go.  Their control has even taken over many government positions and police force.  This war on the drug cartels has had a major impact in Mexico's social, economic, and physical aspects.  That violence has spilled out here into America as well, as we see gang-related violence taking root in major cities.  Sometimes we don't realize just how much international trade affects a country. Concerning globalization, this is something that happens all over the world, but for purposes of clarity I will probably focus on one foreign country.  This topic may be subject to change, depending on the availability of research material.  As for my paper I plan to write more on facts and definition, describing the problem and the negative/positive effect it has on our society.  In the conclusion I may present some possible solutions to the problem and a call to action, but I will not focus to much on this because I'm not a lawmaker or politician.  That's just not my place and I'm not that informed to do so, nor would I want some unqualified person telling me how to do my job.  I am excited to research more on this topic because it is something that interests me and is so close to my home.