EL PASO, Texas -- The University of Texas at El Paso played host to “The Global Pubic Policy Forum On The U.S. War on Drugs”. Speakers and experts from all over the country attended the meeting to offer solutions to the problem. "The problem is, it's literally like a balloon that you can suppress in one area, and then another one pops up," said retired judge James P. Gray of California. "There is no real solution for this problem at all," he said.

It may sound discouraging but Gray said the best thing America can do is try to reduce the problem. He said as long as the cartels in Mexico are fighting for control, the bloodshed will continue.

"People are not committing crime and corruption because of drugs at all they're doing it because of drug money," Gray told KFOX.

Gray said he supports Mexico's choice to decriminalize small amounts of drugs and he said leaders in America should take a closer look at its own drug policy.

"I don't use marijuana. I hope your viewers don't either,” Gray said. “I can tell you and them that the most dangerous thing about marijuana is jail. The most dangerous thing as well, in regards to providing marijuana is a bullet”.

Figures released from UTEP show the U.S. government will spend $14 billion this year to curb the use of illegal drugs.

Miri Marshall can be reached at miri.marshall@kfoxtv.com or 915.834.2158.