LOS ANGELES — Former Mexico President Vicente Fox, who calls himself a soldier in the global campaign to legalize marijuana, is joining the board of directors of cannabis publication High Times to advance his agenda.

Fox foresees a day when a robust legal marketplace will produce new jobs and medicines while sharply reducing cartel violence in his home country.

Speaking with The Associated Press about his views on cannabis and his new appointment, Fox says he also sees pot being part of the North American Free Trade Agreement among Mexico, Canada and the U.S., where some 30 states are embracing legalized marijuana in some form.

Fox's appointment points to the growing acceptance of the once-scorned industry.

He says the war on drugs has been a failure since the days of former President Richard Nixon. What works, Fox says, "is your own free decision."