They weren&#x27;t, but like all big corporations, they diversified their product lines:<p>- Losing marijuana business, Mexican cartels push heroin and meth -<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.washingtonpost.com&#x2F;world&#x2F;the_americas&#x2F;losing-marijuana-business-mexican-cartels-push-heroin-and-meth&#x2F;2015&#x2F;01&#x2F;11&#x2F;91fe44ce-8532-11e4-abcf-5a3d7b3b20b8_story.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.washingtonpost.com&#x2F;world&#x2F;the_americas&#x2F;losing-mar...</a><p>- Marijuana Legalization Sparks Heroin, Meth Trade Increase with Mexican Cartels - <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thefix.com&#x2F;content&#x2F;marijuana-legalization-sparks-heroin-meth-trade-increase-mexican-cartels" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.thefix.com&#x2F;content&#x2F;marijuana-legalization-sparks...</a><p>- Drug Cartels Turning to Meth, Heroin After Pot Legalization in U.S. - <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;insider.foxnews.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;05&#x2F;19&#x2F;drug-cartels-turning-meth-heroin-after-pot-legalization-us" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;insider.foxnews.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;05&#x2F;19&#x2F;drug-cartels-turning-m...</a><p>- Have Changing Marijuana Laws Led to an Increase in Heroin &amp; Meth Smuggling? - <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;lighthouserecoveryinstitute.com&#x2F;have-changing-marijuana-laws-led-to-an-increase-in-heroin-meth-smuggling&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;lighthouserecoveryinstitute.com&#x2F;have-changing-marijua...</a><p>Also, marijuana was never much money for the cartels, the real money has always been in heroin and meth. It&#x27;s much cheaper to produce and the profit margins are much better than weed.<p>If you want to cut off their biggest sources of illegal activity, you&#x27;re not only going to have to legalize some pretty serious  drugs, you&#x27;re also going to have to legalize kidnapping, murder, blackmail and racketeering. The idea that the only way cartels make money is on drugs is terribly myopic.