Ex-president Vicente Fox says Mexico should legalize marijuana to steal business back from violent drug cartels — and when it’s legal, he’s in (as a grower).

“Once it is legitimate and legal, of course, I do some farming. I can do it myself,” the conservative former leader said from his ranch in San Francisco del Rincon.

Fox, a former Coca-Cola executive who was president from 2000-2006, surprised many when he was among early voices in Mexico calling for illegal drugs to be legalized, seeing it as the only way to break the cycle of violent crime.

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“Mexico should become an authorized producer, and export marijuana to places where it is already legal,” argued Fox, who is part of a group of former Latin American leaders pushing for drug legalization opposed by the United States.

More than 70,000 people were killed in six years of drug-related violence after ex-president Felipe Calderon launched an all-out war against the nation’s drug gangs upon taking office in December 2006, according to government data.

“This country’s incredibly serious problem — violence, crime and drugs — can be solved by legalizing drugs. Trying to solve it with repression or violence just fosters more violence,” Fox said.