“Okay, I’m going to say it: The heroin epidemic was caused by the legalization of marijuana.” That’s Don Winslow, who wrote The Cartel and has been covering the drug wars for years. Winslow is not talking about pot as some kind of gateway drug. Instead, he’s talking about the business of drugs. “We wanted legal weed, and for the most part, we got it. Four states have legalized it outright, others have decriminalized it, and in many jurisdictions police refuse to enforce the laws that are on the books, creating a de facto street legalization. Good news, right? Not for the Sinaloa Cartel.” From Esquire: El Chapo and the Secret History of the Heroin Crisis.